Mustang

Mustang

Year: 2015

Runtime: 97 min

Language: Turkish

Director: Deniz Gamze Ergüven

Drama

When summer begins in a small Turkish village, five sisters—Lale and her four siblings—enjoy a carefree childhood. Their games with boys cause a stir, leading to a series of repercussions. The family home becomes increasingly restrictive, and the sisters begin to fight back against the traditions that confine them, yearning for independence and a chance to define their own futures.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Mustang (2015)

Trace every key event in Mustang (2015) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Farewell at school

Lale's teacher, who is moving to Istanbul, bids farewell to the class. The moment hints at the distance between the village and the wider world they long to reach. The sisters feel a mix of pride and longing as they prepare for a long walk home.

Morning School
2

Walk home and beach game

The sisters choose to walk home instead of taking a van. Along the way they reach the beach and join a rowdy game of chicken fight with their male classmates, testing boundaries. The moment foreshadows the clashes that will come when strict rules close in again.

Afternoon Beach and route home
3

Confinement begins

Back at home, their grandmother punishes them for any physical contact with boys. Uncle Erol's furious reaction reinforces the new, harsher rules. From this point the sisters are forbidden to leave the house.

Evening Home, village
4

A new path to marriage

The grandmother begins steering the sisters toward early marriages. In public, the sisters must dress in drab, conservative clothing and stay home to learn cooking, cleaning, and sewing. The family sees marriage as a way to secure their futures.

Days Home / village
5

Sonay's rebellion

Sonay continues to sneak out to see her lover despite the new rules. Her defiance foreshadows the sisters' shared longing to break free.

Evening Village / secret meeting spot
6

Lale's forbidden love for football

Lale loves football and is forbidden from attending Trabzonspor matches. She learns of an all-female crowd traveling to a match and plans to join, hoping for an opportunity to escape. The family's restrictions threaten their future, but she clings to a chance at freedom.

Day Village / stadium
7

Escape to the match

The sisters sneak out, miss the bus, and hitch a ride with a passing truck driver named Yasin. They reach the all-female crowd and enjoy the electric atmosphere of the game. Their aunt, watching on TV, cuts the house's electricity—and then the village's power—to keep their whereabouts from being revealed.

Day/Evening Route to match; stadium
8

Back home, suitors arrive

Back in town, the grandmother takes the sisters to meet potential husbands. Sonay refuses to meet the suitor and his family, vowing to marry only her lover. Selma is sent to be engaged, while Sonay is later engaged to her own beloved.

Next days Town
9

Ece's ordeal and death

Next in line for marriage is Ece, who is secretly being sexually abused by Erol. During a stop near a bank, she allows a boy to have sexual contact with her in a car, then returns home and jokes at the lunch table. She dies by suicide, and the family attends her funeral.

Evening Home / near bank; funeral
10

Nur and Lale's continued confinement

With Ece gone, Nur and Lale remain trapped as Erol's abuse continues, now targeting Nur. Lale sneaks out again, and a plan to escape begins to form. The family tightens the house's protections, even placing bars on the windows.

Evening Home
11

Night of resistance and escape plan

On the night of Nur's impending wedding, Lale convinces Nur to resist. The sisters barricade themselves inside while the wedding party remains outside, embarrassing the family. Erol tries to force entry as the commotion subsides.

Night Home
12

Escape to Istanbul and reunion

Lale discovers a hidden phone and uses it to call Yasin for help. The sisters gather money, supplies, and Erol's car keys, then escape, crashing the car near their house. Yasin picks them up and takes them to a bus station; they board a bus to Istanbul and are warmly greeted by their former teacher.

Night to dawn Home to Istanbul; bus

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:24

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