Ludwig F
Very original. Good actors. I liked how the politics was interwoven with the personal. One highlight is the job interview in the middle of movie.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/17/23
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Audience Member
Wonderful heart-wrenching story of a gifted young woman growing up in a time of tremendous political change. While there are comedic episodes she perseveres in her attraction to an ideal world in spite of much sad fortune.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/06/23
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Audience Member
What a lovely film! Sometimes tears came from my eyes because of laughing so much. However, there is also a lot of sadness in the film and there is a summary of what Turkey went through (how society, political climate, cities changed in such a fast way) in the last 50 years.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/13/23
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Audience Member
The title is somewhat ambiguous. So, what's Have You Ever Seen Fireflies about?
This is the IMDb blurb: Rebellious, irreverent wunderkind Gülseren navigates loneliness, love and loss against the current of political turmoil and social change. And it sums up the storyline so perfectly, anything I could add would be superfluous.
Make sure you watch the right version on Netflix.
The things about foreign films with subtitles is that, even though you don't understand what the actors are saying you hear the intonation of their dialogue and therefore get the full impact of their performance. So be sure to switch to Turkish with Subtitles, or you'll get the annoying dubbed version. Of course, the downside with subtitles is you can't look away or you'll miss something, and there's always a degree of ‘lost in translation'. Although it sounds natural, the dialogue reads a little stilted at times, but this is probably down to a too literal translation in the subtitles.
The film opens with a YouTuber about to interview an elderly Gülseren in a rest home. Have You Ever Seen Fireflies is her recollection of her life, starting in the cold war era of 1951 when Turkish authorities are rounding up communists, up to the early 2000s.
Gülseren's outspoken irreverence reminded me of Miriam ‘Midge' Maisel, albeit a stifled Mrs Maisel. 1950s/60s America may have taken a forthright Jewish comedienne to their hearts (yes, I know she's fictional, but there were real-life comediennes at the time) but societal norms in Istanbul were even more conservative than those across the Atlantic. So Gülseren was never going to be seen as anything other than impudent and disrespectful, when really, she just saw the absurdity of their outdated ways.
After hilariously rejecting an arranged marriage to a moronic suitor, Gülseren's father says her choice is to marry or study. Gülseren questions why she has to choose between the two. "Is being a woman a punishment?"
Fundamentally, Have You Ever Seen Fireflies is a dramedy (that sometimes borders on farce) about how the social change happening right outside the walls of Gülseren's home affects an ordinary family as told by the precocious and outspoken – or as her teachers saw it, "rebellious, unruly and disobedient" – Gülseren played with aplomb by Ecem Erkek.
It's a universal story of an older generation clinging to traditional ways, worrying about what the neighbours will think and keeping up with the Jones, and the younger generation rebelling as they strive for independence and individuality. And the impossibility of changing people's views when they're entrenched – which, given the political and social climes in the US, is more than a little relevant.
Don't be put off by it being a Turkish film. Imagine it's set in small-town America rather than Istanbul and everyone's speaking in American accents (although if you want that, you can just watch it with the American dubbing I suppose) and it becomes clear just how universal this story is.
Oh, and the significance of the title? According to animal totem symbolism, fireflies represent hope, inspiration and awakening. They bring magic and a childlike sense of wonder, which Gülseren has in abundance.
STREAM OR SKIP IT Rating: 😀 GOOD. While I wouldn't rate this as a must-see, it's charming; funny, poignant and definitely worth watching.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
One of the best Turkish movies of the year. Great story, strong directing and acting. Highly recommended.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
04/10/21
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