Entretenimiento Casual

 

Este artículo se encuentra participando en el Desafío Peliplat Agosto 2025 
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https://www.peliplat.com/es/article/10073142/miracle-in-cell-7-a-cinematic-experience-that-goes-through-you

As soon as I discovered that one of the challenges was to talk about foreign films that transcended the world, regardless of whether they were spoken in a language other than our own, the Turkish drama Miracle in Cell 7 immediately came to mind, giving me the perfect excuse to not only watch it again, but also to promote it through one of my writings, giving those who haven't seen it the opportunity to be part of this wonderful and sensitive experience from the first minute to the last.

The first time I learned about this retelling, given that it's inspired by the 2013 South Korean comedy-drama, was a couple of months after the Covid-19 quarantine was announced. I always like to emphasize the importance of recognizing this crisis, even if the entertainment world has ignored it. The important thing to emphasize is that we are survivors. Also, we need to acknowledged what it cost us. This in regards to the sacrifices we had to make, and to mention those we had to leave along the way.

Back then we didn't know with certainty what was going to happen to us and the world. At least the streaming industry turned to international titles to distract us, and thanks to this alternative, I discovered this gem, which, in its 132-minute runtime, gave me the relief that both my family and I needed at the time. Not only that, but it made me believe in humanity again, thanks to its message of love shown in its purest form.

I remember it only took me half a minute to stop the promotional cutscene and immediately play the whole film. I had already heard wonderful things about it on social media just a few days after it became a huge sensation on Netflix. I confess that I'm not a fan of movies spoken in other languages, I can accept Spanish productions due to a certain familiarity with their culture, history and language, specially language as me being Mexican.

I knew nothing about Türkiye, and I wasn't interested in learning about it. Still, I felt the pull, and boy were they right when they called it an emotional roller coaster because, after The Passion of the Christ (Mel Gibson’s historical drama from 2004), I'd never cried so much in my grown-up life, and it started right when we meet Memo, a mentally handicapped single father who is wrongly accused for murder.

Aras Bulut İynemli portrayal as Memo is mesmerizing and so beautiful to see, either alone or surrounded by people, it breaks your heart. Every time he emphasizes a word or displays any gesture. His body language is, in a word, absolute perfection. It is impossible not to fully support him and not get psychologically involved in everything he ends up suffering.

The plot begins in 2004, where we meet a beautiful bride-to-be whose face is moved upon hearing the news that the death penalty has been abolished in Türkiye. Through the relic she holds in her hands, we are transported to a delicate time she endured with her father when she was just a child with whom she shared the same mindset, respectfully speaking.

The narrative unfolds in three acts, the first of which places us in the middle of this tender and entertaining relationship between father and daughter, overseen primarily by Grandmother. The only one in the house and in the town who cares about her son-in-law and gives him the strength to keep going despite the constant abuse he receives from people who refer to him as the town's crazy or retarded person.

Having myself experienced speech disorder during my childhood, I couldn't help but identify with the bullying Memo suffered. I regret to say it brought back some bad memories, since children tend to be very cruel. Meanwhile, the pressure from adults who force you to "pronounce correctly" does not help. Neither to insult them by using awful nicknames or adjectives. This only ends up being psychologically damaging. This shouldn't be the case because no one, absolutely no one, should be defined or treated according to their disorder.

Our personality goes far beyond our physical or expressive capacity. We are human beings who feel countless emotions and go through different phases, whether alone or in company. And thanks to the leading role of Memo and company, this film fulfills that need to show us what it truly means to be human and the constant vulnerability experienced by those who cannot defend themselves.

There is a scene where, after being beaten by a Lieutenant Colonel, Grandmother consoles her son Memo by telling him to never feel less, because he is much more than the sum of all the insults, which Memo does not even consider, since he is only concerned about the happiness of his daughter Ova, and seeing her sad for having witnessed his beating causes him to fear that she will never smile again. To which his grandmother tells him: not to worry because she will smile again, although not under the desired circumstances for the reason that this is only the prelude to the horror that is coming for Memo and his beautiful family.

If Aras's gestures and body language alone kept you intrigued, now adding the innocence with which Nisa Aksongur develops as Ova is devastating to experience since their relationship is authentic and an emotional guarantee. Ova's gaze reaches your heart; the love for her father is evident and mutual.

There is a dialogue where Ova's teacher declares that she is envious of the passionate way in which father and daughter hug each other. She confesses that, despite having a good parent, she regrets never having been able to hug him the way Ova does, which made me give my own parents a big hug because this gesture of love is pure joy, and the best part is that it is free to give and receive.

No one is exempt from death, at any moment we can become angels as happens with Memo's wife and Ova's Grandmother, who could not continue when they were most needed. That said, the second acts sees Lieutenant Colonel abusing his military power to make an example of Memo, blaming him for the murder of his daughter, and therefore destining him to be hanged, but not before destroying his life and that of his family.

It is a heartbreaking experience due to the brutality in which Memo founds himself, from his arrest to the tremendous beatings by the soldiers and then his cellmates. But here is the twist, they get to really know him, his innocence and infinite kindness. After all he went through, he immediately warms their cold hearts bringing out that human side that they had forgotten they had.

In the blink of an eye, Cell 7 becomes a community of people who realize their sins and embark on a path toward redemption by not only caring for Memo’s safety but also helping him reunite with his daughter, and consequently trying to secure his freedom at the expense of their own.

While evil seems to be in control, goodness gradually escalates to the point where faith and hope becomes a possible reality to which we must always cling. That impulse, on its own, is what makes us see how beautiful we can be when it comes to giving and receiving love.

In this world, we are not exempt from evil, so we cannot allow hatred and prejudice to dominate us for something beyond our understanding. We must always give the benefit of the doubt, not judge, and truly see our neighbor for who they are and not for who we want them to be.

This projection of oneself does distort our reality, adding fuel to the fire, so to speak, because we are capable of that and more. It is what we are, what we carry within us, light and darkness, and it is up to us to decide which one we want to prevail over the other.

Therefore, Miracle in Cell 7 is a clear example of how we ourselves have the capacity to make a change within ourselves and to change others through human kindness. Even though the words are in a different language, the sentiment is so clear in every scene presented to us, whether it's the spiritual embrace between Memo and Ova when they're separated by the prison wall, or feeling inspired by Memo's love for animals, or even seeing him in his breakdowns upon learning of his grandmother's passing and his death sentence.

Witnessing his fear of becoming an angel, minutes before saying his last farewell to his daughter was devastating to the soul. And there it relies his third act, an act that speaks about forgiveness and the salvation of the soul. About that, there's so much I'd like to comment, but it would be unfair of me to give you all the details.

Like me, it's best to approach this story from scratch, since it is inevitable not to be infected by every narrative detail. Also, this cast is amazing. What a way to break our hearts into a thousand pieces, and still have to pick them up. Take it as a warning, but you will be invaded by all kind of thoughts after the credits have rolled.

So, grab your box of tissues and a glass of water. Believe me when I say that you are going to need it and all the way, and no matter what happens, remember that it's okay to connect with ourselves and release our feelings. Don't hold anything back; let them out and enjoy this moving piece of art. Better yet, live it and retain its message of hope, compassion, forgiveness, respect, tolerance, justice, and, above all, love as it is reflected on the eyes of the bride-to-be whom we are introduced at the beginning and in the end.

There are no limits when it comes to pure and raw emotion, and without a doubt, Miracle in Cell 7 is a cinematic experience that pierces you. Just as I needed then, I found myself needed it today to acknowledged how fragile life is when evil stalks us from all sides, and also how beautiful it can be when you're surrounded by people who cared for you.

So, whenever you have the chance to hug someone in the same fashion as Memo and Ova, do the same with not only your loved ones but your neighbors because all we need is love to make a difference.