On the Dry Rock

When a dam swallows a valley in Turkey, destroying the property of its residents, a mountain community is displaced into a concrete world, searching for a place they can call home. A visually enchanting cinematic masterpiece that manages to stir an emotional response solely from the aesthetic aspect of the haunting imagery of the decline, collapse, and abandonment of a place. On the Dry Rock doesn’t avert its gaze from human pain, nor does it soften the feeling of despair. Through the haunting atmosphere of its imposing visual language and the awe-inspiring cinematic portrayal of devastation, it allows us to remember that great cinema, and great art in general, can draw the hope of rebirth even from the depths of desolation.