Pehlivan

Pehlivan centers on a three-day wrestling competition rooted in an ancient tradition dating back over a thousand years to the Ottoman Empire, when soldiers played the game to entertain themselves between battles. The wrestlers oil their bodies completely with grease to prevent their opponents from gaining a grip, a practice that may evoke a sense of homoeroticism. Pialat's close-ups highlight the men's muscular bodies pressed together and sliding apart, forming intimate, twisted positions as they struggle for control. Arms are often forced down into pants, one of the few areas offering a potential handhold. The physical contact is intensely suggestive and sensual, representing a sanctioned form of male intimacy framed as a demonstration of strength and masculinity.