Dry Summer

Set in the 1960s Turkish countryside, the film portrays agrarian life and a legal system under strain as water rights become a battleground.

The story unfolds in a small rural village in Anatolia built around a spring that sustains nearby farms. The setting emphasizes the tension between drought, land, and water access as the dam becomes a focal point of conflict. Life here centers on agricultural cycles and a fragile social order where control over water dictates power.

🏛️ Power

Osman uses his control of the spring to dominate his brother Hasan and to pressure Bahar. The dam and spring become instruments of coercion, showing how wealth and authority can bend law and social norms. The pursuit of power triggers violence, including sabotage and murder, revealing how quickly moral lines blur when resources are scarce.

💧 Water

The spring’s waters anchor the conflict and drive the farmers’ grievances. As the summer threatens drought, access to the spring intensifies rivalries and reveals the community’s dependence on a single resource. The dispute exposes how scarcity can escalate tensions and provoke drastic measures.

💔 Betrayal

Family ties fracture under pressure as Osman’s manipulation tests loyalties within the brothers’ bond and Bahar’s complicity. Hasan bears the burden of false blame and personal sacrifice for the family’s survival. The unfolding deception leads to tragedy and a painful reckoning of trust.