After Breakfast

Turkey, Buyukada Island, 2017. Once, at the end of a sunny summer morning, the family members of the famous artist Sirin Sakan gather together to celebrate her centenary. This feast is supposed to be a time of treasured memories, considering the long fruitful career of the honoree and her nearly century-long life experience; however, it is overshadowed by memories of the time of brutal ethnic conflicts in that part of the country where the artist spent her childhood. In the polyphonic novel by contemporary Turkish writer Defne Suman, the parallel voices of the characters develop several themes that reach their climax during the celebration of the centennial anniversary of the main and oldest heroine of the work. Through memories of life trials and losses, the participants of this significant family event unexpectedly gain knowledge about the historical and ethnic roots of their family and the origins of their identity, restoring ancestral memory and family ties, accepting their past, and thereby understanding themselves, their loved ones, and their future — all of which will further help them overcome the obstacles they face and find the right path.