Disenchanted art teacher Samet longs to escape his quiet Anatolian village, wrestling with unfulfilled ambitions and accusations of misconduct at school. A budding friendship with Nuray, a charismatic fellow teacher, offers solace, but jealousy arises when her affection shifts to another colleague.

Merve Dizdar won the Best Actress award in Cannes for her shattering performance in this generously portioned drama from Turkish maestro Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Nimbly mapping the erotic and spiritual tensions of small-town life, About Dry Grasses is a novelistic wonder of Chekhovian scope and intimacy.