Bir Başkadır (Ethos) is a Turkish internet series. Its first episode was released on November 12, 2020, on the Netflix platform. The creator, screenwriter, and director of the series is Berkun Oya. The production deals with the intersecting lives of characters with different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds in Istanbul. It consists of a total of eight episodes.
An Image from the Series Content (IMDb)
Synopsis
The series begins when Meryem, who works as a cleaner, is referred to Peri, a psychiatrist, after experiencing fainting spells. The difference between Meryem's traditional and conservative lifestyle and Peri's secular and modern lifestyle is one of the main tension elements in the series. As the story progresses, the lives of individuals around Meryem are also presented to the audience. These characters include people from different segments such as Ruhiye, who has a history of trauma, Yasin, a young imam, Gülbin, a secular therapist, and her family.
Cast (Selected) and Character Descriptions
Meryem (Öykü Karayel)
She is one of the main characters of the series. She works as a cleaner in Istanbul. She grew up in a devout and modest environment. Events unfold when she consults a psychiatrist due to fainting spells. The difference between traditional values and modern city life is conveyed through Meryem's life.
Peri (Defne Kayalar)
She is a psychiatrist. She has a modern, Western, and secular lifestyle. She becomes involved in the story as Meryem's consultant. Her relationship with her clients and her own internal problems are themes explored in the series.
Yasin (Fatih Artman)
He is Meryem's elder brother. He is a character devoted to his family and values traditional values. He tries to cope with the traumas his wife Ruhiye experienced in the past. He is also a young imam serving at the neighborhood mosque.
Gülbin (Tülin Özen)
She is another psychiatrist. She comes from a Kurdish family and leads a secular life. Her identity and value conflicts with her own family find a place in the series. She is Peri's colleague.
Hoca Efendi (Settar Tanrıöğen)
He is a religious scholar respected by Meryem and her community, known for his religious knowledge. His character represents the traditional religious understanding. Meryem consults with him from time to time.
Ruhiye (Funda Eryiğit)
She is Yasin's wife, Meryem's sister-in-law. She experiences psychological problems due to past traumas. She is a quiet and introverted character. In the story, she is a figure who reflects the impact of trauma on the family structure.
Sinan (Alican Yücesoy)
He is a character from a wealthy family who shapes his life mostly according to his individual pleasures. He is the owner of the house where Meryem works. Class differences are observed through his character.
Ruhiye (IMDb)
Themes Explored
Social Identities and Cultural Differences
The series reflects the daily lives and challenges faced by different social groups and cultural identities in Turkish society. Conservative, secular, ethnic, and economic differences are conveyed through the characters' lifestyles and perspectives. For example, the conflicts between Meryem's conservative nature and Peri's urban, secular lifestyle embody this theme.
Psychological Support and Mental Health
The issue of mental health holds a significant place in the series. Meryem's seeking psychiatric support shows how psychological support in Turkey encounters difficulties due to societal prejudices and taboos. Additionally, the psychological traumas experienced by the characters and their coping processes reveal different perspectives on mental health.
Family Relationships
Family relationships and dynamics are among the main themes of the series. Through Yasin and Ruhiye's marriage, the impact of trauma on the family structure and the changes in individuals' roles within the family are explored. Gülbin's relationship with her family, on the other hand, reflects the tension between modern life and traditional family ties.
Traumas and Repressed Emotions
The traumas experienced by the characters in their past lives are expressed in the series, particularly through themes of repressed emotions and silence. Ruhiye's introversion and silence, and Peri's emotional detachment from her past, reveal different dimensions of this theme.
Class Differences
The series shows the differences between characters' economic conditions and social classes through settings and lifestyles. The chasm between Meryem's workplace and Sinan's wealthy life reveals the concrete reflections of class distinctions in daily life.
Individual Identity Quests
Characters undergo a deep internal questioning of their beliefs, cultural affiliations, and life choices. Meryem's questioning of her religious beliefs and way of life, and Gülbin's dilemma between family ties and personal freedom, form this theme.
Multi-Layered Narrative
The series narrates events from the perspectives of different characters. The same scene or situation is shown from multiple characters' viewpoints, presenting the audience with a multifaceted social and individual reality. This structure reveals the conflicts and interactions of different perceptions and value systems in society.
