Three Friends

Three friends live practically on the streets of Istanbul, cadging small jobs every now and then to make ends meet but mainly enjoying each other and the carefree life. Then they meet Gül (Muhterem Nur), a beautiful blind girl who has given up all hope. Trying to boost her spirits, the friends decide to pretend that they’re actually wealthy socialites who together share a classic villa in a posh part of town. The ruse works, for a while, but the friends begin to fear what will happen when Gül discovers the truth. Positively Chaplinesque in its mixture of broad comedy and deep sentiment, Three Friends is one of Turkey’s best-loved films, a perennial on “Top Ten” lists, as well as a poetic portrait of a rapidly expanding Istanbul. – The Film Society of Lincoln Center