Defne (2025) Movie Script
Be careful, dont get your hand caught.
-What?
-It might suddenly grab your hand.
What might, dad?
You dug the ground.
Don't panic if something soft
comes out from underneath, okay?
Cover it with soil.
-Otherwise, the monster might grab your hand.
-There is no such thing as a monster.
They even ate someone's
whole family back there.
-What?
-Yes.
Defne, where are you going?
You didn't cover the ground.
What are you doing?
Don't hit the tree.
My dear.
Defne.
You need to be able to
understand the world correctly.
Take me, for example.
I've seen the whole world.
-I know every place in the world.
-No, you don't.
If a large map was
layed in front of me,
Im not done talking yet.
If a map was layed in front
of me, close my eyes and
ask me to choose,
where would I choose?
This would be the place
I would point my finger.
Look at this tree,
maybe it has been here for centuries.
And I think its very happy.
I want my
daughter to be happy too.
Besides, you'll take care
of this place when we're gone.
I don't want any of this.
Its a beautiful thing, being a villager.
And don't forget, your
roots are here too.
I know you're just a child.
But none of us can
escape the love for this land.
Osman?
Why did you come if
you weren't going to pick?
I will. I fell asleep.
Here, I've picked them all.
Take the basket home.
Why are you crying?
I'm not crying.
Grandma,
grandma, are you okay?
Mom, grandma is sick.
Grandma, are you okay?
Grandma?
Mom, what happened?
It's okay, Mom, hang in there.
Mom, should I get the doctor?
Are you okay, Mom?
-Mom, I'll go and get the doctor.
-No, Defne.
Just let me get the doctor!
Your dad's in the field,
go and call him right now.
Take Osman with you and
go to the doctor together, okay?
Defne, don't go
to the woods alone!
-I know the woods.
-Defne!
Get out!
Damn you!
Why don't you listen to me?
I told you to leave
when youre done.
Youre still staring at me like an idiot.
You already got everything,
why didnt you get out?
-I think you made a big mistake.
-What should I have done?
-Should I have let him go?
-Is this what we set out for?
Are we going to kill
everyone in our way?
If necessary.
We went off plan.
Is that funny?
We'd apologize,
we'd say we're sorry.
-It would be all right.
-Shut up!
This isnt the way to do it...
Sero, what are you doing?
I'm here. Are you blind?
Can't you see?
You dumped this on me...
Sero, run!
-Why am I running?
-What are we doing?
Damn you!
Listen, they're
going to kill everyone.
I heard them talking.
They said they'd kill the
whole village if necessary.
Don't you believe me?
Why didn't you call me?
Because of you, Mother
Esma got angry with me.
Mother Esma?
She's not your mother.
Were you able to get
the doctor to come?
There's no need for the doctor.
Why not?
Grandma died.
Where have you been?
-Why don't you listen to me?
-Mom,
there were these people in the woods.
Then they chased me
Who chased you?
I don't know.
The men chased me.
They really did.
Did I tell you the story
about the shepherd?
You did, mom, I'm not lying.
Who chased you?
The men
-said they'd kill the whole village if necessary.
-What?
I heard them talking among themselves.
Defne
you'll never go into
the woods again, okay?
Should I tell you a story?
Once upon a time,
There was a nymph who
loved to wander in the woods.
One day, as she wandered
through the trees, she
heard footsteps closing in.
Startled, she sprang into flight.
But from the bushes,
a mysterious voice called out:
O nymph,
beautiful girl,
do not run.
I who pursue you
am no enemy.
Doctor Orhan?
The winds caressed her limbs.
And a light breeze
danced through her hair.
Her beauty shone
brighter in flight.
Dad!
Defne?
What happened, dear?
-Dad
-Okay, easy.
-What happened?
-I found it...
Found what?
I found the doctor, Dad.
-They killed him in the woods.
-Killed him?
They killed him, Dad, in the woods.
Come with me. I'll show you.
Go home to your mom right now...
Dad, I found him.
I really did!
Go home at once.
-Dad, come...
-Defne.
Defne, hurry!
But the chase neared its end,
for the young man no longer
wasted breath on pleading words.
He raced forward,
driven by the fire of love.
What's that noise?
-Dad...
-What happened? Defne!
-Dads in the field...
-Defne.
-They shot Dad! They shot him!
-Come in, quick.
I didn't mean for this to happen,
but your daughter saw
something she shouldn't have.
Dont point that to...
Run, Defne! Run! Run!
Mom!
Mom, get up!
Mom.
Mom, get up.
The girl had no strength left.
Pale with fear
and utterly overcome
by the toil of her flight,
she saw the waters of
her father's river and cried:
Help me, Father!
If there is even a drop
of mercy in your waters,
take away this beauty
which I can no longer bear.
Let it vanish!
I told them! I told them!
Why doesn't
anyone listen to me?
She had barely finished her words
when a down-dragging numbness
seized her limbs.
Her legs stiffened, wrapped
in a thick layer of bark.
Her hair unraveled into leaves,
her arms stretched into branches.
Defne, the water
nymph, became a tree.
Her gleaming beauty alone remained.
Why did you name me Defne?
Why not, dear?
I am not a tree.
-What?
-It might suddenly grab your hand.
What might, dad?
You dug the ground.
Don't panic if something soft
comes out from underneath, okay?
Cover it with soil.
-Otherwise, the monster might grab your hand.
-There is no such thing as a monster.
They even ate someone's
whole family back there.
-What?
-Yes.
Defne, where are you going?
You didn't cover the ground.
What are you doing?
Don't hit the tree.
My dear.
Defne.
You need to be able to
understand the world correctly.
Take me, for example.
I've seen the whole world.
-I know every place in the world.
-No, you don't.
If a large map was
layed in front of me,
Im not done talking yet.
If a map was layed in front
of me, close my eyes and
ask me to choose,
where would I choose?
This would be the place
I would point my finger.
Look at this tree,
maybe it has been here for centuries.
And I think its very happy.
I want my
daughter to be happy too.
Besides, you'll take care
of this place when we're gone.
I don't want any of this.
Its a beautiful thing, being a villager.
And don't forget, your
roots are here too.
I know you're just a child.
But none of us can
escape the love for this land.
Osman?
Why did you come if
you weren't going to pick?
I will. I fell asleep.
Here, I've picked them all.
Take the basket home.
Why are you crying?
I'm not crying.
Grandma,
grandma, are you okay?
Mom, grandma is sick.
Grandma, are you okay?
Grandma?
Mom, what happened?
It's okay, Mom, hang in there.
Mom, should I get the doctor?
Are you okay, Mom?
-Mom, I'll go and get the doctor.
-No, Defne.
Just let me get the doctor!
Your dad's in the field,
go and call him right now.
Take Osman with you and
go to the doctor together, okay?
Defne, don't go
to the woods alone!
-I know the woods.
-Defne!
Get out!
Damn you!
Why don't you listen to me?
I told you to leave
when youre done.
Youre still staring at me like an idiot.
You already got everything,
why didnt you get out?
-I think you made a big mistake.
-What should I have done?
-Should I have let him go?
-Is this what we set out for?
Are we going to kill
everyone in our way?
If necessary.
We went off plan.
Is that funny?
We'd apologize,
we'd say we're sorry.
-It would be all right.
-Shut up!
This isnt the way to do it...
Sero, what are you doing?
I'm here. Are you blind?
Can't you see?
You dumped this on me...
Sero, run!
-Why am I running?
-What are we doing?
Damn you!
Listen, they're
going to kill everyone.
I heard them talking.
They said they'd kill the
whole village if necessary.
Don't you believe me?
Why didn't you call me?
Because of you, Mother
Esma got angry with me.
Mother Esma?
She's not your mother.
Were you able to get
the doctor to come?
There's no need for the doctor.
Why not?
Grandma died.
Where have you been?
-Why don't you listen to me?
-Mom,
there were these people in the woods.
Then they chased me
Who chased you?
I don't know.
The men chased me.
They really did.
Did I tell you the story
about the shepherd?
You did, mom, I'm not lying.
Who chased you?
The men
-said they'd kill the whole village if necessary.
-What?
I heard them talking among themselves.
Defne
you'll never go into
the woods again, okay?
Should I tell you a story?
Once upon a time,
There was a nymph who
loved to wander in the woods.
One day, as she wandered
through the trees, she
heard footsteps closing in.
Startled, she sprang into flight.
But from the bushes,
a mysterious voice called out:
O nymph,
beautiful girl,
do not run.
I who pursue you
am no enemy.
Doctor Orhan?
The winds caressed her limbs.
And a light breeze
danced through her hair.
Her beauty shone
brighter in flight.
Dad!
Defne?
What happened, dear?
-Dad
-Okay, easy.
-What happened?
-I found it...
Found what?
I found the doctor, Dad.
-They killed him in the woods.
-Killed him?
They killed him, Dad, in the woods.
Come with me. I'll show you.
Go home to your mom right now...
Dad, I found him.
I really did!
Go home at once.
-Dad, come...
-Defne.
Defne, hurry!
But the chase neared its end,
for the young man no longer
wasted breath on pleading words.
He raced forward,
driven by the fire of love.
What's that noise?
-Dad...
-What happened? Defne!
-Dads in the field...
-Defne.
-They shot Dad! They shot him!
-Come in, quick.
I didn't mean for this to happen,
but your daughter saw
something she shouldn't have.
Dont point that to...
Run, Defne! Run! Run!
Mom!
Mom, get up!
Mom.
Mom, get up.
The girl had no strength left.
Pale with fear
and utterly overcome
by the toil of her flight,
she saw the waters of
her father's river and cried:
Help me, Father!
If there is even a drop
of mercy in your waters,
take away this beauty
which I can no longer bear.
Let it vanish!
I told them! I told them!
Why doesn't
anyone listen to me?
She had barely finished her words
when a down-dragging numbness
seized her limbs.
Her legs stiffened, wrapped
in a thick layer of bark.
Her hair unraveled into leaves,
her arms stretched into branches.
Defne, the water
nymph, became a tree.
Her gleaming beauty alone remained.
Why did you name me Defne?
Why not, dear?
I am not a tree.