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Buğday

Name: Buğday
Director: Semih Kaplanoğlu
Released: 2017
Duration: 127 min

Representation Score

4.2/10

Fair

2017

Director

Semih Kaplanoğlu

Runtime

127 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Buğday is a contemplative drama that prioritizes metaphysical questions and ecological concerns over identity-focused storytelling. Its strength lies in its slow-paced aesthetic and its critique of capitalist dominance through the lens of a genetic crisis. However, the film lacks diversity in terms of social representation. The narrative remains rooted in traditional patriarchal structures and a localized, homogeneous demographic that doesn't challenge conventional social identities. Ultimately, the film serves as a philosophical exploration of man versus nature and corporate power, rather than a platform for diverse social representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does Buğday have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film doesn't include any LGBTQ+ characters or stories. It focuses on traditional family structures and individual grief, without engaging with non-straight or non-cisgender identities.

How does Buğday portray gender?

Limited

The story mainly revolves around male perspectives of grief and community roles. Women are mostly defined by their absence, serving as a plot catalyst rather than having active roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Buğday?

Fair

The film sets itself in a genuine, local Turkish environment. Though the cast is uniform within its rural context, it maintains a commitment to poetic realism.

How does Buğday represent religion and culture?

Good

The story critiques corporate-controlled biological monopolies. It emphasizes the relationship between humanity and the natural world over industrial progress.

Does Buğday include disability representation?

Fair

The film does not focus on physical or neurological disabilities. Psychological struggles are portrayed as a universal human experience rather than a specific exploration of disability.

Present on Screen

Provides a sophisticated critique of global corporate power and biological monopolies.
Offers an authentic and culturally specific representation of a Turkish rural setting.
Uses a poetic, anti-modern aesthetic to explore the relationship between humans and nature.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities and non-straight narratives.
Relies on traditional gender dynamics where women have secondary roles to male grief.
Does not explore specific experiences of physical or neurological disabilities.

Official Synopsis

The global corporations have established cities and agricultural zones in areas where the climate is relatively good. These cities are populated by the elites, while the immigrant masses struggle with hunger and epidemics. For unknown reasons, the city’s agricultural plantations have been hit by a genetic crisis - and, as a result, by massive crop failure. Professor Erol Erin, a seed genetics specialist learns of Cemil Akman, a fellow scientist. Apparently, Cemil wrote a thesis about the recurrent crisis affecting genetically modified seeds - but the work was banned by the corporation..

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