Ayla: The Daughter of War
Ayla: The Daughter of War (Turkish: Ayla) is a 2017 Turkish drama film directed by Can Ulkay. It was selected as the Turkish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.
In 1950, amidst the ravages of the Korean War, Sergeant Süleyman stumbles upon a half-frozen little girl with no parents and no help in sight. Frantic, scared and on the verge of death, this little girl captures the heart of Süleyman, who risks his own life to save her, smuggling her into his Army base and out of harms way. Not knowing her name and unable to communicate with her, Süleyman names her Ayla, in reminiscence of the moon on the fateful night during which they met. The two form an instantaneous and inseparable bond, and Ayla, almost effortlessly, brings an uncanny joy to the Turkish brigade in the grip of war. As the war comes to a close however, Süleyman’s brigade is told that they will be returning home. Süleyman cannot bear abandoning Ayla, and does everything within his power to take her with him. After repeated failure, he is forced to give Ayla to an orphanage, but doesn’t give up on the hope of one day reuniting with her. Will the two ever get back together?
Turkey sends a brigade to Korea as a result of the call for help made by the United Nations when North Korea attacked South Korea in 1950. It all starts with Sergeant Süleyman, one of the soldiers in the sent brigade, finding a little girl whose mother and father were murdered on the night battlefield.
A young girl nearly frozen to death is saved by Süleyman, who gives her the nickname Ayla because he found her in the moonlight. The two form a friendship despite the language barrier between them, but are torn apart when Süleyman had to return home.
Also Known As (AKA): Ayla
Japan (Japanese title): ブレイブ・ロード 名もなき英雄
Kazakhstan: Айля
Russia: Айла: Дочь войны
Spain Ayla: La hija de la guerra
Taiwan: 艾拉,戰爭下的女兒
Creators: Yigit Güralp
Director: Can Ulkay
Star Cast: Çetin Tekindor, İsmail Hacıoğlu, Kim Seol, Ali Atay, Murat Yıldırım
Producer (s): Caglar Ercan, Christopher H.K. Lee, Evrim Sanal, Ayse Ilker Turgut, Mustafa Uslu
Cinematographer:
Production House: Dijital Sanatlar Production, AV-Jet International Media, CGV Mars Dagitim, New Select (I), Warner Bros., MyLiaison VFX
Music:
Distributed: Warner Bros.
Release Year: 27 October 2017 (Turkey)
Runtime: 125 min
Genres: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: Turkey, South Korea
Language: Chinese, Turkish, Korean, English
Subtitles: English