Audiences with a love for unique and experimental cinematography should definitely consider ?Boats of Watermelon Rinds?.

Set in a small quaint town in the Turkish countryside in the 1960s, the film tells a simple story of two young friends who both dream of something more than their dreary apprentice jobs (one as a watermelon seller and the other as a barber shop assistant). The boys discover old films discarded by the local theatre and become determined to get the film playing with their home made projector - both with hopes of someday leaving their town and becoming successful filmmakers.

Our protagonist, Recep, becomes instantly infatuated with winning the heart of his newfound love, Nihal, who is quite older than him and remains seemingly unattainable throughout the movie. This antagonistic love story is portrayed in the most distinctive style, which radiates the innocence and romance of a teenage crush ? and playing hard to get. Recep?s ongoing struggle with both the film and the elusive girl continue to become more desperate throughout the story, and at times seems hopeless. However, after many hurdles, the boys eventually manage to get the film working and begin to show outdoor screenings with their lonely friend, the village idiot.

Throughout the film there are exceptionally potent pieces of footage where the camera focuses in on something simple and makes it symbolic and almost poetic, although the actual meaning of these pieces is left to the audience?s interpretation. From the tears of a crying man dripping on the sandy pavement, to a doll that falls to the ground with no apparent cause, or a corpse lying in an open coffin that begins to breathe, the movie is filled with exquisite yet mysterious fragments of seemingly superstitious symbolism, many of which had a very eerie feel, but with no concrete message. Although this can be somewhat annoying to some, it is refreshing to just appreciate this for what it is ? a captivating moment on the screen.

The overall simplicity and transparency in this film and the daily lives and dilemmas of the characters is both refreshing and infectious. The sparse scenery of the countryside and quiet village streets, along with a catchy Turkish soundtrack, gives an authentic insight into life and culture in small town Turkey. In a nutshell, this film is just an intriguing and loveable story with no real conclusion, leaving much to be interpreted. Note, be prepared for subtitles that are, at times, very hard to read (and no, I do not need glasses).

Ah, go ahead.