Sixteen-year-old Cem Celik doesn't see much of his absent father. In the summer of 1986, in order to earn money for cram college, he takes a job, and his life changes dramatically. Show more

Istanbul in the 1980s, and Cem recalls his enjoyment of Mahmut's stories but was surprised when one evening he was asked to take a turn and tell a story of his own. Show more

The panic-struck Cem, fleeing from the possibility that he has accidentally killed Mahmut, takes the wages he was owed and heads home to Gebze to be welcomed by his mother. Show more

As the red-haired woman's son grows up, he begins to ask questions about his father. She recalls how a sequence of events led her to being an unlikely saviour. Show more

Master Mahmut and his apprentices head to the nearby town for refreshment and supplies. A chance meeting has a profound effect on 16-year-old Cem. Show more

Cem enters a new and exciting world when he visits the travelling theatre. There, he sees the object of his desire - the red-haired woman. Her performance moves him greatly. Show more

After his visit to the theatre and the hours he spent with the red-haired woman, Cem is woken the following morning by sunlight pouring through the well-diggers' tent. Show more

Istanbul in the 21st century, and Cem is busy exploiting the boom in construction and urban expansion. But he continues to be obsessed by ancient stories from both east and west. Show more

At his father's funeral, Cem meets a fellow developer who knew his father and, in these unlikely circumstances, they discuss business and times gone by. Show more

The red-haired woman recalls the events of a fateful night 30 years ago and remembers how she came to meet and marry her second husband. Show more