KUMA World Cinema

“Kuma” is Turkish for “second wife,” referring in this case to an uncommon yet enduring form of polygamy. Director Umut Dag has fashioned a sharply observed drama about a Muslim family caught between an older generation’s traditions and their children’s modern attitudes.  KUMA opens in Turkey with the wedding of 19-year-old Ayse to the handsome but aloof Hasan. When the newlyweds arrive in Vienna, where Hasan lives with his parents and siblings, we quickly learn the truth: Ayse has joined the family to become a second wife to Hasan’s father Mustafa.  Fatma, the matriarch of the family, is battling cancer, and her dying wish is for Ayse to take her place, should she succumb to the disease. The timid and innocent Ayse soon ingratiates herself into the family and even bears Mustafa’s child, but when unexpected tragedy strikes, Ayse’s place in the household is called into question, along with her happiness.