In this film adaptation of the hit German TV show, the children of a multicultural step-family end up stranded on an island when their plane crashes en route to Thailand.
Türkisch für Anfänger (Turkish for Beginners) is the movie adaption of the popular television series of the same name. While it deals with the same topics and relationships as the series, the plot was completely rewritten for the film. In the latter, the siblings of the Schneider-Öztürk step-family are forced to coexist when their plane crashes en route to Thailand. Cem, his sister Yagmur, his stuttering friend Costa, and the uptight Lena wash up on an island, while their parents, Doris and Metin, manage to reach their holiday resort.
Each character has a distinct personality. Lena, for instance, is the complete opposite of her mother Doris. The latter is an unconventional therapist who does not believe in rules, is always looking for the next party, and is somewhat stuck in her youth. If her daughter Lena’s idea of a great holiday is relaxing and reading, Doris prefers to spend her nights going out clubbing. Cem, meanwhile, is a wannabe-gangster, a real macho man. His sister Yagmur, on the other hand, is entirely devoted to her religion, and she does not show any interest in developing a friendship with Lena or Costa. As for Costa, he is a naïve guy who always remains in the background while Cem dominates the spotlight.
The four kids are forced to survive on the deserted beach, while their parents, who have already found one another, are dealing with their children’s absence in different ways. Metin is worried and nervous, but Doris sees in these circumstances an opportunity for Lena to emerge from her shell. She often refers to her husband as a “Spießer,” a term that dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was used to refer to peasants armed with a “Spieß” (a spear). Nowadays, it is a negative term to describe a person who strives to meet the social norm. On the island, Cem takes on the role of the “provider,” while Yagmur carries out the tasks of the “Hausfrau” (housewife). Lena feels superior to them all, because she has received her “Abi” (short for “Abitur,” a designation given to students who complete their final exams in High School) and she wields a more sophisticated vocabulary. By comparison, Cem starts every sentence with “Ey” or “Altel Alter” (literally “old one”, but understood to mean “man” or “dude”). His choice of words is usually crass, which is the typical stereotype of Turkish youngsters in Germany, even if they are German-born. German society frowns upon the fact that German-born Turks, as well as Turkish folk who have been living in Germany for a long time, continue to speak in what is commonly perceived as broken German. However, the dialect has officially been acknowledged as “Türkisch-Deutsch” (Turkish-German).
Cem refers to Lena as an “Öko-Braut” (eco bitch) and to her mother Doris as a “Kartoffel-Mutter” (potato mother), mocking their eco-alternative way of life. Lena, on the other hand, thinks Cem is a “Proll” (similar to a “chav” in Britain). His big dream is to become a rapper, and he performs one of his songs for Lena, in which all women are called “Schlampen” (sluts) and “Hurren” (whores). Despite their differences, Lena and Cem fall for one another and end up sleeping together after smoking a “Friedenspfeiffe” (peace pipe) with the island tribe. Elsewhere, Metin and Doris, despite their different mentalities and lifestyles, also grow closer to each other. While the television series was much better at representing the reality of such a patchwork family, the film gives the actors an opportunity to revisit their characters: Lena, in the series, was the typical loud-mouthed and temperamental teen, but in the movie, she comes across as rather more uptight and smart-alecky; and Yagmur’s character enjoyed far more freedom in this big screen adaptation.
