A film of stark contrasts, Bliss, directed by Abdullah Oguz, is an evocative insight into a country of contradictions: barren landscapes under a wide blue sky and luscious islands; white-washed villages and a busy metropolis. It is also a country of conflicting values where archaic social mores are enforced with the aid of pistols, cellphones and motor launches.

The music haunting, the cinematography beautiful and the characters carefully portrayed; and as the exact nature of the act that propels the action is withheld until the end, the plot is compelling.

Meryem, the daughter of an Anatolian shepherd, is discovered unconscious and dishevelled by a lake, and is immediately presumed guilty. She is considered to have brought dishonour to the family, which can only be removed by her death.

Bullied all her life by an unsympathetic stepmother, Meryem commits her first act of defiance by refusing to hang herself as her stepmother suggests.

Ali Reza Agha, her father's cousin, and owner of the local flour mill, insists that his son Cemal will carry out the deed when he is discharged from the army. Cemal, haunted by his recent military service, is to pretend to be taking her to Istanbul, but dispose of her along the way. Filial obedience conflicts with the sin of having blood on his hands and his own sympathetic nature, and he is unable to bring himself to kill her, either en- route or when in Istanbul. He too is trapped by the village moral code, unwilling to commit murder, but unable to return until the deed is done, so he seeks help from an army buddy who manages a fish farm and processing plant.

Meryem seems cowed, unwilling to defend herself or offer any explanation for her condition, and yet once away from the village, sparks of intelligence shine through: a wonder at the world around her, a quiet courage, a willingness to adapt to new situations.

While overseeing the fish farm, they encounter Irfan, a sophisticated urbanite escaping a stalled marriage and unfulfilling life of materialism by sailing around the Sea of Marmara on his well-appointed yacht. Circumstances demand that they accept Irfan's offer of employment as deckhand and cook, and the three embark on a voyage of self-discovery.

As Irfan sees Meryem with fresh eyes, and she begins to blossom, Cemal's attitude to her also changes. Though the resolution of the conflict is somewhat contrived, it brings a sense of wholeness.

While the subject matter – honour killing of an innocent young woman – would seem depressing, the film has humorous moments and is ultimately uplifting. The clash of cultures, the re-examination of one's fundamental beliefs and reflections on cultural identity are universal, and this thoughtful, thought-provoking film is delightful.

At the Liberty Theatre today at 9.30 p.m.