“A rich, fulfilling story of self-actualisation.”

Are you truly an artist if you haven’t had at least one major existential crisis in your life? There’s something about choosing a path (whether as a career or merely a hobby) where you try to find meaning in a world that is often confusing, in between moments of beauty, that can erode your sanity in unexpected ways. This is the concept that Yeşim Ustaoğlu uses as the basis for What Remains, a striking psychological drama that represents her return to narrative filmmaking after a decade. The story primarily centres on Elif, a poet who has been plunged into a state of existential despair as a result of her declining mental health and the fact that she has lost passion for so much in her life. Not only does she struggle to write, but her domestic life is also becoming more challenging. This results in tensions with her partner Mehmet, who feels that she is not being present enough, leaving him to bear all the responsibilities. In an effort to remedy the situation Elif decides to take a trip. Despite being left to pick up the pieces after what he hopes will be a temporary absence (although her sudden departure does call into question her desire to return, which the film leaves intentionally ambiguous), Mehmet supports her decision. He knows that it is far more valuable for her to find herself, rather than to continue sinking into an inescapable depression.

Creativity comes at a cost, which is something that the protagonist of What Remains understands firsthand. Despite having moments of revelatory artistic freedom, she has allowed herself to become dependent on her emotions to function, which is an unfortunate way to live one’s life, and ultimately leads her to the verge of a complete breakdown. The film addresses the challenges that come with suffering from depression yourself, and also the difficulties that emerge when a loved one finds themselves in such a rut. Mercifully, the entire film does not centre around situations such as Mehmet trying to convince Elif to take a shower (which is a surprisingly key moment, as it acts as the catalyst for the rest of the film, forcing everything to fall into place). It eventually transitions into something much more expansive, following Elif as she makes the difficult but essential decision to escape from her family, as well as her entire life, in search of salvation, which she hopes can be found on the open road. Elif represents anyone who has felt so disheartened and unsatisfied that it seems the only way to improve things is to escape – and while most don’t go through with the physical act, there is some psychological retreat that forms a large part of the process. The idea of the protagonist searching for herself by leaving everything behind, embracing the feeling of alienation and being adrift, is a difficult concept to comprehend. Yet as the film progresses, we see that the solitude of both her literal and physical journey brings a sense of clarity and guidance, which moves her closer to feeling comfortable in a world she has grown to fear over time.

What Remains is certainly dealing with some tricky themes, and could easily have become an unnecessarily dense melodrama, since it has the thematic elements that many filmmakers might believe could only be executed with heavy-handed emotional posturing. That is not the case here, since Ustaoğlu is far more intrigued by an authentic approach, focusing on finding the rhythms of the characters’ everyday lives and then examining the aftermath once this routine has been punctured by one major decision that unseats their humdrum domestic situation, for better or worse. While it is addressing very real and familiar themes, the film approaches them from a poetic perspective, focusing on the small, intimate moments in this character’s journey, which is particularly resonant considering she doesn’t have a specific destination in mind, reflected in the film’s meditative and pensive tone. The tiny moments contain the most powerful of emotions, and much of this comes through in the performance delivered by Öykü Karayel, who presents a vivid and captivating portrait of a woman who decides that she can no longer wait in hopes of her situation improving without doing the work herself. It’s a harrowing performance, especially in the earlier portions where she has to convey Elif’s relentless depression (which is not easy to do without tipping over into caricature, so she deserves credit for her astonishing restraint in interpreting this character). As the film goes on we see her become more receptive to the outside world, opening herself up to new opportunities with every encounter. Her acting is ultimately what binds the film together and makes What Remains so incredibly poignant and meaningful.

What Remains does not leap out as a particularly innovative work at first, since it seems to be built from familiar narrative and tonal patterns. It has a story deeply rooted in social realism, and the initial introduction to the characters and their circumstances makes it seem like the director intended to follow those conventions as closely as possible. However, the more time we spend with these characters, the better we understand what the film is trying to be: a thoughtful drama exploring the nature of the past and the challenges of coming to understand your place within it, especially when it involves reconciling your passion with the burden of an unsatisfying existence. It starts as an uncomfortably accurate depiction of depression, and gradually transitions into a poignant tale of self-discovery and healing, showing how a single decision can redefine one’s entire existence, and the existence of those around them. Each gorgeous landscape through which Elif travels contains revelations that make her journey meaningful, contributing to her efforts to learn about herself through the open-ended embrace of a humanity she has forgotten due to her own self-inflicted isolation. The film addresses those memories and uses them as a roadmap to navigate a difficult set of circumstances, which can be the only path towards true liberation, whatever it may entail. What Remains proves to be a rich, fulfilling story of self-actualisation, following a character who embarks on a peaceful departure from reality that helps her reinvigorate her love for a world that she may not understand, but nevertheless grows to appreciate in the process.