Anatolia's 'Balkız', Germany's Mercedes, and a story of collapse...

Summer has arrived, and journeys for vacation have begun. Some are heading to their villages to reunite with loved ones, while others are traveling to the sea to leave the burdens on their shoulders in the blue waters.

Our citizens living abroad, whom we call 'gurbetçi' (expatriates), especially those living in Germany, are also coming to Turkey to satisfy their longing for their homeland.

In this respect, the months of July and August are the 'expatriate' season for many cities in Anatolia.

This reminded me of the film 'Sarı Mercedes' (The Yellow Mercedes).

The story of the 'expatriate' Bayram is a bit different from just coming home for a vacation. The film focuses on the alienation created by the labor migration from Turkey to Germany, which has entered its 64th year, and the collapse in human relationships.

Let's take a look at Bayram's road story with the 1992 film 'Sarı Mercedes', adapted from Adalet Ağaoğlu's novel 'Fikrimin İnce Gülü', directed by Tunç Okan, and starring İlyas Salman.

Bayram grew up without a mother or father, was unloved in the home where he was raised, was always seen as 'one extra mouth to feed,' and set his mind on going to Germany as a way out. Sometimes what he experienced and sometimes what he saw turned him into an opportunistic person. He believed he could compensate for the emotions he felt were lacking with material possessions.

Seeing a stranger arrive in their village in a luxury car during his childhood and witnessing the attention the villagers showed him, Bayram thinks that owning a car will earn him respect. Even though he works as a cleaning worker in Germany, he tells the villagers that he works at an automobile factory. He buys his Yellow Mercedes with the money he saved and believes he has realized his dreams with this car. All that remains is to go to his village and show off with his car to the people who wouldn't even look at him when he was little.

Naming his car 'Balkız' (Honey Girl) is perhaps a reference to the beautiful girl of the village whom Bayram loved but could not marry. Protecting his car even from the rain, talking about his car to everyone he meets before talking about himself, and even having his shirt covered in Mercedes emblems for his trip to the village... It is the tragic story of Bayram replacing his own self with the vehicle he values, and instrumentalizing his own self.

CUSTOMS OFFICER: GO CALL THAT GUY... THE ONE WITH THE PISS-COLORED CAR...

Bayram experiences problems at customs while entering Turkey. He even argues with car owners who pass slightly close to 'Balkız'. Seeing this argumentative state of Bayram, the customs officer points to him and says to the person next to him, 'Go call that guy... the one with the piss-colored car...' Thus, Bayram's goal of gaining respect through a car receives a blow right at the entrance to the country.

Another important character in the film is the hippie youth who comes to Turkey in a caravan. While he is focused on nature, people, and living in the moment, Bayram is the exact opposite. The friction they experience along the way is both humorous and reveals the worldviews of two individuals raised in different cultures.

Bayram, who overcomes various hardships along the way, does not find what he expected when he arrives at the village. Neither the village remains, nor the people who would welcome him. Moreover, 'Balkız' has turned into scrap due to an accident. Bayram has now lost both his most valuable possession and his roots.

Sarı Mercedes reminds one of Charlie Chaplin's film 'Modern Times'. In the film, Chaplin, who works in a factory, was tightening screws incessantly, just like a robot. Moving away from being human and reaching the speed of a robot, Chaplin was even trying to tighten the buttons on the foreman's overalls. The film, shot years ago, serves as a guide for us to understand the personality Bayram has transformed into as a result of his experiences.

We started the article with journeys made for vacation and steered our wheel to the past. Bayram's Yellow Mercedes is not just a car, but a striking reflection on the silver screen of modern man being trapped in the chains he created himself...