The Moisture is a film of secrets, revenge and expedience – versus integrity. Ishak (Mucahit Kocak) is a new teacher in a village somewhere “in the mountains” in the Anatolian area of Turkey. The town is poor and situated near a huge quarry that announces periodically, over a loudspeaker, when dynamite will be blasting. Ishak is new to the town and the school. He is juggling a new job along with the issue of child custody and visitation with his son. Seeing his son is made more difficult as he now lives a good distance away. His ex-wife (Mukaddes Kurmus) suggests he chose this move on a “whim” which seems to hint at a weakness or unsteadiness she found in him.
The school room is filled with students around ten or eleven years of age who are well behaved and attentive. New to this room and these students, Ishak indicates upon his late morning arrival that he smells something offensive when he enters the class – and he has smelled it every day. The faithful janitor, Siracettin (Okan Selvi), who is laying the fire in the stove, says he only smells “feet”. The children assert they smell nothing. Mystified, Ishak mutters about the improvements and materials that he has requested that have never arrived. He insists Siracettin inquire among the “higher ups” if they could get some paint to brighten up the room and improve the environment. The older man reminds him it is not good weather to paint. The cement walls of the class are much like basement walls that paint doesn’t adhere to well when the atmosphere is damp. It seems during the current winter months, it is damp everywhere all the time. No doubt the room smells like an old damp basement and that smell is what Ishak notices upon entering each day. The children and the janitor are accustomed to it, and they no longer detect it.
Ishak proceeds with his day, but one of the boys, Yusuf, (Muhammed Mayda) and his seatmate and follower, Ismail (Baran Salman) begin to test his authority. They are blowing spit wads at the girls in class. Finally, out of patience, one of Yusuf’s targets. Ayse, (Elif Eylul Yesilyurt) loudly calls him out as “Stupid! Retard!” Ishak intervenes and gives the boy a stern lecture. When Yusuf only smirks at the tirade, Ishak loses his self control and slaps the boy and sends him out of school, suspended for the rest of the day.
Ishak follows through with the punishment but isn’t comfortable with being so stiffly authoritative. Later, at outside recess, he observes Yusuf standing alone as snow falls heavily on the playground. Siracettin and Ishak smoke together while watching the children. Ishak asks about a car he needs to buy. The seller is stubborn and a real “negotiator” who won’t deal with Ishak, a newcomer to the village. The car dealer is none other than Yusuf’s father. Siracettin describes him as “difficult’ and indicates that’s why Yusuf is so defiant and oppositional. Nevertheless, Ishak seems determined to forge a positive bond with Yusuf and asks him later to help with painting the classroom.
The next evening, Ayse’s father (Yasar Akman), interrupts a phone call between Ishak and his ex-wife when he knocks on the teacher’s door to tell him his daughter is missing. Ishak encourages him to call the police. The next day Ayse is ominously absent and Ishak gives a lesson to the class about how plants can “sweat”. These innumerable references to water in many forms and experiences weave through the story to suggest the darkness in the dank and wet cold.
The story plummets to a dreadful conclusion for Ishak. He finds himself faced with a loathsome event that forces a choice likely to betray his integrity as a man, a father and a teacher.
The Moisture brims over with thought-provoking situations and symbolism that helps fill in what is not said – or when assumptions must be made. Kocak as Ishak brilliantly portrays a man torn apart by his ethics as a teacher, his concern for a wayward student, his sense of duty to a friend and his love for his child. He seems to carry darkness with him as he faces this moral dilemma.
Okan Selvi as Siracettin is matchless as the harmless old janitor and aide to the teacher. He is always on hand to help with chores and dish out gossip and words of wisdom. Selvi in his last scene is the personification of pity and disbelief.
Muhammed Mayda is every teacher’s Achilles heel in his portrayal of Yusuf. He is quietly defiant yet, at the same time, sad. He speaks to others with his facial expressions, daring them to react.
Director Turan Haste very successfully pulls together a film of darkness, mouldering and malevolence. The Moisture verifies that a film of merit can be successful in making every one of its twenty minutes. . . count.