Salvation, the fifth feature film by Turkish director Emin Alper, opened in French cinemas on September 2, 2026. Awarded the Silver Bear – Grand Jury Prize at Berlinale 2026, this two-hour political drama is distributed by Dulac Distribution. It is not for under-12s.
In a rugged corner of Turkey, two villages duel over a territory scarred by old resentments. When the valley dwellers, once driven into exile, return to their land, their comeback rekindles an age-old conflict with the community living further uphill.
At the heart of this showdown, Mesut, the local chief’s brother, is besieged by visions he reads as divine warnings. His beliefs push him to challenge his brother’s authority. The land dispute spirals into a power struggle where faith, paranoia, and vengeance become hard to separate.
Caner Cindoruk, Berkay Ateş and Feyyaz Duman lead the cast, joined by Naz Göktan, Özlem Taş and Eren Demir. Emin Alper continues his exploration of the dynamics between political power, social tensions and collective violence. His previous film, Burning Days, was showcased in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022.
Presented in competition at the 76th Berlinale, Salvation won the Grand Jury Prize, chaired by Wim Wenders. This award should not be confused with the Silver Bear for Best Actor/Actress.
Also check out September’s movie releases, the films to watch right now, and our pick of dramas to discover in theaters.
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