Based on a true story about Turkish soldier Sergeant Süleyman Dilbirliği (İsmail Hacıoğlu) and a little girl from South Korea, Ayla (Kim Seol). This 2017 film, directed by Can Ulkay, is inspired by the story of Ayla meeting Turkish soldiers in 1950 during the civil war in South Korea. This film is very close to the nuances of the family, especially between father and daughter. This film is made in Turkey collaboration with a South Korean film producer.
This film set in the civil war between South and North Korea. South Korea is supported by the United States and North Korea is supported by Russia and China. This story begins with a soldier from Turkey named Suleyman who was assigned to help the warfare in South Korea along with other Turkish soldiers. While in South Korea, Suleyman and his team down a village that had been devastated by war.
Suddenly he heard someone’s voice and his team was about to get ready to shoot the origin of the sound. But when he arrived, it turned out that there was a little girl among the piles of corpses holding her mother’s hand stiffly. Then Suleyman took the girl to their army camp. The little girl was given the name Ayla which means moonlight.
Despite having communication problems due to language differences between Suleyman and the child, Suleyman still cares for and looks after the child. Ayla continues to bond with Suleyman because she remembers that young man helped her. Suleyman also taught Ayla to read and write in Turkish. Unfortunately, after a fifteen months passed and the peace mission would end, Suleyman had to return to Turkey immediately, but he could not really leave Ayla so he made various efforts including putting Ayla in a suitcase.
However, his attempts failed. Suleyman is not allowed to bring Ayla because of differences in nationality. Suleyman also promised Ayla that she would return to South Korea again, but that promise had not been fulfilled because the war was raging in Korea again and communication between Turkey and South Korea was experiencing problems. After arriving in Turkey, Suleyman still frequently went to the South Korean embassy in Turkey to find Ayla, who had changed her name to her real name. This makes it difficult for Suleyman to find out Ayla’s whereabouts.
Sixty years later, even though Suleyman is married and has grown children, he is still looking for Ayla’s whereabouts. One day when one station
Television hears the story of Suleyman and Ayla, they try to help Suleyman along with the South Korean embassy to find Ayla, until finally they are reunited after a long time, namely in 2010. This film really touches the heart besides this film tells of Suleyman’s affection for Ayla. But there are also scenes about war that are quite tense and other scenes that are no less touching about the friendship of Suleyman and his friends.
Süleyman Dilbirliği died after a month and a half of the film Ayla: The Daughter of War was released, precisely on December 7, 2017 at the age of 91 years in Istanbul, he suffered from respiratory and kidney problems. This film also received an Oscar Nomination 2018. I highly recommend watching this film because there are many lessons that we can take.
