In a high-crime area of Istanbul called Laleli, a pimp and his two friends try to sell a blond Russian prostitute to a rich businessman. However, they lose both the payment and the girl to four thugs who appear from nowhere.

In the shadows of Istanbul’s back alleys, A Madonna in Laleli unfolds as an unforgivingly vivid portrait of the city’s underworld. It starkly captures the essence of a quickly moving metropolis where moral ambiguities thrive, and resonates profoundly with the soul of the city.