Saw Takva last night at The Sydney Film Festival 2007, utterly compelling, driven by Erkan Can's fine performance as Muharrem, a devout Muslim in contemporary Istanbul. Previous posts outline more.<br /><br />I was fascinated by the way Takva engages with contemporary Turkey, a notionally democratic and secular society since the 1920s. Yes, Muharrem has an existential crisis, also familiar to audiences of Shrek 3 in another way ... dare I mention it, by profane comparison.<br /><br />I suspect Takva has a satirical streak, once you imagine the dervishs's lodge could be the current government of Turkey.<br /><br />Am I right? Responses from Turkish members most welcome.