Efkarliyim Abiler (1966, Turkey)

Gönlübol Arif (played by Sadri Alisik) leads a disreputable life, and he is in police cells at the start of the film. His wealthy uncle (Bedri Çavusoglu) gets him released and lectures him about his dissolute lifestyle, and gives him a job at his factory. But Arif doesn't like a structured life, and his instinct is to get out and meet up with his old friends on the waterfront.

However late one night he meets a homeless girl named Fatos (Filiz Akin). He takes care of her and they sleep together, and when Arif takes her home, his uncle gets angry and has her thrown out. Arif goes too and they earn some money busking on the ferries and in bars, and she accompanies him and does some dancing. Then suddenly one morning when Arif wakes up, he finds that Fatos has gone. He looks everywhere and can't dins her, but later in a bar a friend shows him a book, called Gönlübol (Arif's family name) written by Meral Soydan. Arif borrows the book and finds that it is all about him and his life. Arif learns that Meral is in fact Fatos and that she has lied to him about herself, and Arif feels betrayed. When Arif sees a bookshop with a huge number of the book on sale, he talks to the shop owner and he tells Arif where he can find Meral; Arif goes there and discovers that Meral is indeed Fatos, and she is well dressed. There is a scene, and when Arif angrily leaves, both he and Meral reflect on their time together.

Fatos goes to Arif's uncle and he is impressed by this well-dressed and cultured woman. She asks him if he can bring them together. He goes to the waterfront and sees Arif's cronies, but they are defensive, and merely say that they will pass on the Uncle's message if they see Arif.

In fact Arif shaves off his moustache and dresses in drag and goes to see the uncle anonymously; the uncle reluctantly agrees to see this strange woman, and there follows a very long conversation in which the Uncle explains that Fatos is deeply sorry for having hurt him and that she truly loves him; and at the end of this meeting some amorous feelings are aroused in the Uncle towards Arif-in-drag.

Next there is an arranged meeting between Arif-in-drag and the Uncle and Meral, but Arif-in-drag denounces Meral's dishonesty and both Meral and the Uncle look increasingly ashamed and the meeting dissolves in embarrassment. It looks as if everything is going to fall apart.

However finally there is yet another arranged meeting on the waterfront, at which Arif's cronies are present; Uncle arrives with Meral and Arif-in-drag is waiting there; but in fact Arif is dressed normally but wearing the wig and an overcoat with his back to them, and all Meral can see at first is what seems to be Arif-in-drag. But Arif soon shows himself and again seems to want to create embarrassment for Meral and the Uncle. But the matter softens and he seems to forgive Meral, and after a tense moment the Uncle approves of Arif and Meral getting together, and renews his offer of a well paid job in his factory, and the film ends with the Uncle's chauffeur driving everyone off in his big car. They all live happily ever after.

HF November 2009

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