I Saw the Sun
In the southeast region of Turkey, the Kurdish family of Altun lives in a small mountainside village plagued by a 25-year war that makes their daily lives a hellish struggle. As the war intensifies, the family is forced to migrate west to the city of Istanbul.
Despite its modest budget of $5.0M, I Saw the Sun became a solid performer, earning $12.8M worldwide—a 156% return.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
I Saw the Sun (2009) exhibits carefully calibrated story structure, characteristic of Mahsun Kırmızıgül's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 55 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.4, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The Altun family lives peacefully in their Kurdish village in southeastern Turkey. Kadri tends his land while his wife Havar cares for their children, showing a simple rural life filled with tradition and community bonds.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Armed conflict erupts in the village. The family's home and livelihood are destroyed in the violence, forcing them to flee. Their son is severely injured, making their peaceful existence impossible to continue.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 29 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Kadri makes the painful decision to leave Turkey and seek asylum in Norway. The family departs their homeland, crossing the threshold into an unknown future as refugees, leaving behind their culture, language, and identity., moving from reaction to action.
At 58 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat The family's asylum application is denied. What seemed like a path to safety and new beginning is revealed as uncertain. They face potential deportation back to the danger they fled, and Kadri's worst fears about leaving home seem validated., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 86 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Kadri suffers a complete breakdown, unable to bear the loss of identity and homeland. He contemplates suicide, representing the death of his former self and the seeming impossibility of belonging anywhere. The family fragments under the weight of despair., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 92 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Kadri realizes that home is not the land but his family. He synthesizes his Kurdish identity with the need to build a new life, understanding that he can carry his culture within himself. The family unites with renewed determination to fight for their right to stay together., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
I Saw the Sun's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping I Saw the Sun against these established plot points, we can identify how Mahsun Kırmızıgül utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish I Saw the Sun within the drama genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The Altun family lives peacefully in their Kurdish village in southeastern Turkey. Kadri tends his land while his wife Havar cares for their children, showing a simple rural life filled with tradition and community bonds.
Theme
A village elder tells Kadri, "Home is not where you are born, but where your heart finds peace." This statement foreshadows the family's journey and the central question of identity and belonging.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of the Altun family dynamics, the Kurdish village culture, tensions in the region, and the children's dreams. Shows the father's pride in his land, the mother's devotion to family, and the underlying political tensions affecting rural Kurdish communities.
Disruption
Armed conflict erupts in the village. The family's home and livelihood are destroyed in the violence, forcing them to flee. Their son is severely injured, making their peaceful existence impossible to continue.
Resistance
The family debates their options while seeking refuge. Kadri resists leaving his homeland, clinging to his identity and ancestral land. They receive guidance about seeking asylum in Norway, but Kadri struggles with the idea of abandoning everything he knows.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Kadri makes the painful decision to leave Turkey and seek asylum in Norway. The family departs their homeland, crossing the threshold into an unknown future as refugees, leaving behind their culture, language, and identity.
Mirror World
The family meets other refugees and Norwegian social workers in the asylum center. These characters represent different responses to displacement - some who have adapted, others who resist. A Norwegian caseworker embodies the theme of finding home in humanity rather than geography.
Premise
The family navigates life in Norway - learning the language, facing bureaucracy, experiencing cultural shock, and dealing with the cold climate. The children begin to adapt while Kadri struggles with loss of identity and purpose. Moments of hope mixed with alienation.
Midpoint
The family's asylum application is denied. What seemed like a path to safety and new beginning is revealed as uncertain. They face potential deportation back to the danger they fled, and Kadri's worst fears about leaving home seem validated.
Opposition
The family faces mounting pressure: legal battles, financial hardship, and discrimination. Kadri's depression deepens as he feels powerless. Family tensions rise as the children become more Norwegian while he clings to Kurdish identity. The bureaucratic system closes in.
Collapse
Kadri suffers a complete breakdown, unable to bear the loss of identity and homeland. He contemplates suicide, representing the death of his former self and the seeming impossibility of belonging anywhere. The family fragments under the weight of despair.
Crisis
In the darkness following Kadri's breakdown, the family confronts their deepest fears and pain. Havar and the children must decide whether to give up or find strength in each other. Moments of reflection on what they've lost and what remains.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Kadri realizes that home is not the land but his family. He synthesizes his Kurdish identity with the need to build a new life, understanding that he can carry his culture within himself. The family unites with renewed determination to fight for their right to stay together.
Synthesis
The family makes their final appeal, drawing on their bonds with the Norwegian community they've built. They demonstrate their integration while maintaining their identity. Kadri testifies with dignity about their journey, combining his pride in Kurdish heritage with hope for a Norwegian future.
Transformation
The family walks together in Norway, wearing both Kurdish and Western clothing. Kadri smiles as his children play, having found peace not in a place but in the love and resilience of his family. He has transformed from a man defined by land to one defined by heart.