Red Roses

“Red Roses” tells the poignant story of Meryem, married off at 14 in an Islamic sect, and now battling bravely to prevent her daughter Zeynep suffering the same cruel fate as the bride of the sheikh’s grandson.

“Red Roses” tells the poignant story of Meryem, who grew up in an Islamic sect and was married at 14. Now she is battling to prevent her daughter Zeynep from suffering the same fate as the bride of the sheikh’s grandson Cüneyd. They face a tumultuous journey, filled with tension and romance, as conservative and progressive beliefs clash.

The sheikh wants a morally pure bride for Cüneyd and the sect’s elders see Zeynep as a suitable candidate. Horrified by the idea, Meryem seeks guidance from her sister-in-law, a Koran teacher who was expelled from the sect. Given the sect’s power, they shy away from complaining officially and decide that they must flee.

Meryem must first earn money, working as a carer for the paralyzed father of psychiatrist Levent, a secularist man at odds with her beliefs but keen to help as he rejects arranged marriages. Meryem also faces cruelty from her husband, who wants to marry off his daughter and seeks a second wife himself.

Meryem and Levent are drawn together emotionally, but they are poised for a huge surprise as they discover that Levent’s daughter is actually Zeynep’s twin, who was thought to have died at birth. The turmoil in their lives is poised to become a lot deeper.