UNTIL I LOSE MY BREATH New Auteurs

Serap is a quiet but hotheaded adolescent working long hours in a cramped clothing workshop as a runner. Only one thing keeps her going: the hope of moving into an apartment with her father, a long-distance truck driver. When her father proves indifferent to Serap’s wishes, she decides to take matters into her own hands. First-time writer/director Emine Emel Balci weaves a deeply personal story about a young woman who must navigate the harsh world of factory life in Turkey while balancing the demands of her oppressive family. Using a flowing observational style, Balci captures her protagonist in a way that brings the audience into her daily rhythms. This is a film where strands of hair blowing in the wind communicate the chaotic and beautiful inner world of a young woman more effectively than language or dialogue. With a stunning lead performance and incredibly precise filmmaking, this is one of the year’s most auspicious debuts. – Lane Kneedler