What does that mean? Let me explain.
On Thursday, Syarra, Alrica, and I did
something we don't do that often on this trip. We went to a movie.
Carver was taking his AP Statistics exam and the three of us had a
few hours to kill. So we went to a movie here in Turkey.
We haven't done this much. We did see
one movie in the theater in South Africa (where they speak English)
and we saw one move in the theater in England (where obviously they
speak English since it is named for England.) This is our first movie
in a non-English speaking nation.
That being said, the movie was still in
English. It was a Hollywood movie and it was shown with no audio
dubbing. We heard the real soundtrack in English. There were Turkish
subtitles on the screen.
Funny thing, at the beginning of the
movie there is a character speaking in Russian. So the movie itself
already has subtitles in white letters in English. But here we got to
see above those subtitles another set of subtitles in yellow letters
in Turkish. Double subtitle, pretty strange? No, it gets stranger.
We are about halfway through the movie.
A big scene with an action sequence comes to an end. The next scene
begins. Three syllables are spoken and then suddenly the movie cuts
out. The lights come up in the theater. Huh?
The other people in the theater seen
nonplussed. But we're confused. So I go out to ask about this. The
man at the concession stand doesn't speak English, so he points me to
the man who sells tickets. I go to him and tell him the movie just
stopped. He thinks, trying to remember how to say it in English. Then
he tells me “Seven minutes. Break.”
There is a break? They have an
intermission in the middle of a movie in Turkey? Apparently so. This
is why the other people in the theater thought nothing of it. We were
the only ones surprised. So I guess it isn't entirely fair to say “No
one expects the Turkish Intermission.” I really should say “No
one, except for the Turks, expects the Turkish Intermission.”
So we hit the bathroom and return to
the theater. And after the break, you know what happens? They show
more previews. We see previews for two other movies (one of the
previews is in English the other is in Turkish) and then without
warning, the movie picks up mid sentence where it had left off.
This was one of those movies where A)
There are opening credits, but they come at the end of the movie then
B) there is a short scene after those opening credits then C) the end
credits roll and finally D) there is an “extra” teaser thing
after the end credits.
So our movie ends, we see the opening
credits, we see the short scene, the end credits just barely begin to
roll and the movie stops. At this point we are the only ones left in
the theater (except for the woman with the broom who is just waiting
for us to leave so she can clean up.) I guess the Turkish members of
the audience left when the opening credits were rolling.
They don't show the credits in Turkey?
Or maybe, they don't show the credits when the credits are all going
to be in English. I don't know?
So again, we go out and ask, why did
the movie stop. This is a movie where there is always something after
the credits. The man who speaks English apparently knew there was
something after the credits because he says “You want other
sketch.” He tells us to go back into the theater. We do.
Then he has somehow set the credits to
show us the last twenty seconds of credits and then it shows us the
extra scene.
It was one of those experiences that
was similar, but just different enough to be different. At the least,
it was unexpected.
And that's part of the fun. So I guess
I'm cool with not knowing what is about to happen at times.
Even though the locals knew it was
coming, I'm happy that at the least, I didn't expect the Turkish
Intermission.
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