Faraway

Zeynep arrives at the modest house her mother bought in Croatia, hoping the change of scenery will give her space after the funeral and the painful neglect of her husband, Ilyas. The first morning she awakens to find a stranger, Josip, already living there – a man who has been allowed to stay rent‑free ever since her mother’s purchase. Their clash over the property quickly turns into a reluctant partnership: Josip refuses to let her sell the house, insisting part of the land is his, while Zeynep wrestles with the idea of turning the place into a modern rental.

As the days pass, Zeynep’s frustration softens while Josip cares for her in small, odd ways – from hauling her drunk self back to the porch and burning her cheap panties, to taking her out on his boat and sharing stories about loss. Their banter, petty revenge and quiet moments of music build an unexpected intimacy. When Zeynep finally receives an offer for the house, she calls Ilyas and proposes using the money to revive his restaurant and spend more time together, only to learn that he has fallen for his junior chef and has no intention of staying with her.

Crushed, Zeynep retreats into the house, turning off her phone and sinking into a brief depression. Josip continues to look after her, bringing food and water, and when the real estate agent Conrad arrives, Zeynep, fed up with the constant bickering, knocks down a wall to let in more light – a symbolic act of gaining agency over her own life. She decides to keep the house, to celebrate the freedom her mother once wished for her.

Later, atop the island’s highest hill, Zeynep reads her mother’s heartfelt letter urging her to be happy and true to herself. The next day a car arrives, driven by Josip’s brother Dražen, who reveals he had been alive all along and had made the purchase offer. After a tense exchange, Josip announces he will move out, and Zeynep confesses that she no longer wants to sell the house and that she has feelings for him. They spend the night together, waking to a bright morning that is abruptly interrupted by her teenage daughter, Fia, stumbling into the breakfast table. Their confrontation quickly dissolves into an honest talk about how teenagers often take their mothers for granted, and the two reconcile.

The following day Ilyas and Zeynep’s estranged father show up, having been urged by Fia to come. A chaotic argument erupts among Ilyas, her father, Josip, Conrad and Dražen, but Zeynep steps in, telling everyone to pause and prepare dinner. After the meal, Ilyas asks for another chance, but Zeynep, having removed her wedding ring, calmly declines. She raises a toast to her late mother – the speech she never managed at the funeral – and the whole group dances to “99 Balloons.” When the men leave, Zeynep discovers a red balloon left by Josip, a silent reminder of his lingering affection. She rushes outside, meets him under a star‑filled sky by the ocean, and they share a kiss, suggesting that two unconventional, spirited people have found a fleeting but meaningful happiness together.

Last Updated: September 17, 2025 at 06:53