leaves Selma's apartment to live with a bartender who offers her drugs and alcohol. Eventually, he rapes her when she passes out and throws her out. Roaming the streets that night, she is accosted by three men who eventually beat her up. One of them stabs her and they leave her for dead. Several years later, Cahit travels to Istanbul upon his release from prison, hoping to find Sibel. Selma tells him that Sibel is in a relationship and has a daughter. Cahit waits in a hotel for Sibel's call. It eventually comes, and they meet and make love for a weekend while her boyfriend is on a business trip. After their tryst, Cahit asks Sibel to take her daughter and run away with him. She agrees but, while packing at home, she hears her husband talking on the phone to her delighted daughter. Cahit waits at the bus stop but she never shows up. The film ends with Cahit on a bus, presumably traveling to Mersin, the city where he was born. Cast Birol Ünel as Cahit Tomruk Sibel Kekilli as Sibel Güner as Maren Güven Kiraç as Seref Meltem Cumbul as Selma Hermann Lause: Psychotherapist Dr. Schiller Demir Gökgöl: Yunus Güner Cem Akın: Yilmaz Güner Mona Mur: Customer Zoe Bar Adam Bousdoukos: Barman 1 Mehmet Kurtuluş: Barman 2 Tim Seyfi: Taxidriver Fanfare Ciocărlia: Musicians Stefan Gebelhoff as Nico Francesco Fiannaca as Mann am Tresen Reception Head-On received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a "certified fresh" rating of 91%, based on 88 reviews, with an average rating of 7.35/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A raw, provocative drama about star-crossed love and the lives of immigrants caught between the traditional and modern." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 78 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The film has been cited as a favorite by filmmaker John Waters, who presented it as his annual selection for the 2006 Maryland Film Festival. Accolades "Best Film" and the "Audience Award" at the 2004 European Film Awards on 11 December in Barcelona, Spain. The Golden Bear for Best Film at 54th Berlin International Film Festival on 14 February 2004. The Golden Prize for Best Actress at the Deutscher Filmpreis on 18 June 2004. The Quadriga Prize on 3 October 2004 in Berlin. The Silver Mirror Award for the Best Movie from