My Marlon and Brando (2008)

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Actress Ayca Damgaci first met fellow thespian Hama Ali Khan when they were working on a movie together. The two quickly fell in love, and what first seemed like an on-set romance soon proved to be something much deeper. However, Ayca was from Turkey and Hama was an Iraqi Kurd, and as U.S. forces… More Actress Ayca Damgaci first met fellow thespian Hama Ali Khan when they were working on a movie together. The two quickly fell in love, and what first seemed like an on-set romance soon proved to be something much deeper. However, Ayca was from Turkey and Hama was an Iraqi Kurd, and as U.S. forces were poised to invade his homeland, he was unable to come to Istanbul to see her. Instead, Hama began sending Ayca a series of video letters in which he proclaimed his love for her while offering a portrait of the tension and violence that was sweeping through Iraq. Deeply moved by his videos, Ayca decided to throw caution to the wind and travel to Iraq to be with the man she loved. However, as American forces marched into Iraq, getting into the country proved impossible, and she found herself stranded near the Iraqi border in a village that seemed utterly alien to her. When Ayca finally was able to contact Hama, they decided to meet in Iran, and she found herself once again searching for her love in a strange land where she knew no one and understood precious little around her. Ayca Damgaci re-enacts the adventure of her ill-fated romance with Hama Ali Khan in Gitmek (aka My Marlon and Brando), a romantic drama based on her true story, with Hama appearing in the videos he shot for her. My Marlon and Brando was screened in competition at the 2008 Rotterdam Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi