| | One of the most puzzling mysteries concerns one’s sexual identity. When does a man suddenly decide that he is gay? For many men who have never had a sexual encounter with a member of the opposite sex, the realization often comes quite early, before puberty. What about the married man who suddenly has to tell his wife that he is gay? This is the issue explored in the Turkish film Hamam (Steam: The Turkish Bath), directed by Ferzan Ozpetek. Francesco (played by Alessandro Gassman) is a busy, successful interior designer in Rome, though we later realize that has been through work sublimating the fact that he obviously does not get along too well with his beautiful, businesslike wife Marta (played by Francesca d’Aloja), who is spending a lot of time with her assistant Paolo (played by Alberto Molinari). Francesco has just learned that his aunt Anita in Istanbul has died, leaving him some property and personal effects to handle. Although he asks Marta to go to Istanbul to take care of the matter, she refuses, since she well understands that women are not readily accepted in commercial transactions in that Moslem country. When Francesco arrives in Istanbul, he stays with the caretakers of his aunt’s property. Since his parents have recently died, he is touched to be treated as a member of the caretaker family, especially the son Mehmet (played by Mehmet Gunsur). Wandering about the city, he discovers friendly people in contrast with the impersonality of life in Rome and the institution of the hamam, that is, the Turkish bathhouse; when he enters one at the invitation of a stranger, he finds Mehmet having sex with another man. Aside from his Aunt’s personal effects, the major property that he inherits is a building containing an ornate but closed hamam in need of repairs. Although he at first tries to arrange a quick sale so that he can return to Rome, the bid from ambitious real estate developers is much too low, so he decides to refurbish the hamam to increase the commercial value. However, as the film’s tagline indicates, “What he inherited was a sexual awakening . . . ” Something inside him brings out his love for the pace of life in Istanbul and his desire to have sex with Mehmet, and soon they become lovers. Meanwhile, Marta cannot understand why Francesco is staying on in Istanbul, as he expected to wrap up his business affairs in a few days. Marta then flies to Istanbul and learns that her husband is not only having an affair with a man but also wants to become a permanent resident of a country where he feels happy. Marta has no choice but to accept her husband’s homosexuality and decides to return to Italy without him. However, at the end of the film, Francesco is killed, we suspect by the disappointed real estate developers. Hamam, despite its cinematographic postcard of Istanbul that can clearly serve to promote travel to Turkey, was pulled from the 1998 Academy Awards by the Turkish Minister for Culture, yet another homophobic move against gay tourism. MH | |