Taşkafa: Stories of the Street / 11.6

Though these films have nothing in common, I’m throwing them together as they’ve only appeared on the festival circuit so far and it’s unlikely either of them is going to see a mainstream release. That’s almost certainly the case for Andrea Luka Zimmerman’s Taşkafa: Stories of the Street, what with it being a documentary film about the street dogs of Istanbul and with a run time at just over an hour. That isn’t to say this isn’t a great watch though as Zimmerman’s charming story mainly focuses on the relationship between human and animal. It’s hardly subtle on the political side of things, but hope is addressed through Zimmerman showing various elements of society and their selfless actions towards the dogs. Some people do it because of their religion. Some because of an innate love for animals. Some have just given up on humans altogether. Zimmerman’s use of a voice over reading a poem to juxtapose the story being told doesn’t really work, but you can’t deny Zimmerman didn’t put her whole life into this for it took nine years from inception to hit the screen during which she lived in Istanbul and learnt Turkish. Long term preparation is also the key to Philippe Godeau’s 11.6, however in this case it’s in the shape of the main character Toni Musulin (François Cluzet), a driver in an armoured car delivery firm who plans to pilfer many a note during a low key non-violent bank robbery. Godeau’s film is only 40 minutes longer than Zimmerman’s, but feels double that. This is a slow-burner that burns very slowly indeed. The film has two problems that render it a frustrating watch. One is that the build-up to the robbery drags and drags and when it finally does occur it’s quite dull. Secondly, the film is actually a fairly accurate portrayal of a real life incident and a substation unresolved issue from the robbery is similarly portrayed in the film meaning unless Musulin (currently enjoying some cell time) spills the beans in real life (or the police sharpen their act up a bit) there is no closure. Apart from a nice reveal towards the end which explains the film’s title, there’s little here to suggest you should watch this as opposed to just reading the story in the press. Taşkafa Rating: 7/10, 11.6 Rating: 4/10.