Phases of Matter (Maddenin Halleri) is a documentary foreign film from Turkey presented in Turkish with English subtitles.

Directed by Deniz Tortum, he provides a deep dive into the medical world of the middle east. Wandering around the massive corridors, the hospital becomes a character in itself in a way unique to this film. Most documentaries focus solely on the occupations of certain facilities while this, on the other hand, focuses on the personal significance to the filmmaker. Early on it established he was born there and his father works there as well. The camera pans around with long takes using minimal editing cuts. The way it’s filmed with someone walking around with the camera makes it seem like it’s a first-person perspective of an employee. This gives room for the hospital to breathe as I took in all the complexities involved in their medical practices.

It’s just another day at Cerrapaşa Hospital, a teaching facility in Istanbul. The various nurses and doctors discuss their work routines, personal beliefs, and problems while treating patients. It shows the different areas like the large medical examination machines in the MRI CT scan, and X-ray rooms, the Dialysis Unit, the Emergency room, the Operating room, and the Morgue.

I like how the film doesn’t hold back on the medical proceedings. It shows all the surgeries in great detail. Every incision, every step is on display to show how the procedures are done and how they demonstrate the teaching process to the next generation of pupils. It focuses on medical machines like MRIs, CT scans, and X-rays showing how they work as well. It felt like I was in the room with them.

Overall, as someone who had a partner with a terminal illness, I appreciate Phases of Matter showing the interior workings of the medical world. My late husband was diagnosed as a severe diabetic, was an amputee, and was on dialysis. Describing how everything works to people in person was always difficult. This film accomplishes accurate depictions of a day in the life of what we went through. There’s a scene showing the dialysis unit and the camera actually stays fixed on one of those machines for a few minutes. Despite being set on the other side of the world, the process is very similar. I even recognize the names of prescription drugs used.

I found it fascinating how it shows other areas I had heard of before but knew little about. It’s a very educational, informative documentary. The horror elements of Phases of Matter are ever prevalent as it’s a scary world to live in because the fear of losing a patient is very real. The dark, bleak cinematography matches the aesthetic of atmospheric mood. It’s not for the squeamish because there are no practical effects here. The gore is real. That being said, I highly recommend this thoughtful, endearing film. It’s very relatable if you know someone with a terminal illness. And remember, every patient is someone’s mate, parent, relative, or friend.

10 Out Of 10