Turkish Passion (1994): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1994, Turkish Passion is a drama film directed by Vicente Aranda, running about 112 minutes.

What it’s about. A young woman’s passion forms the basis of this erotic Spanish drama adapted from a popular novel by Antonio Gala. The night before Desideria’s marriage, her girl friends give her some valuable advice on sex. The marriage takes place, and while it is generally happy, her husband Ramiro suffers from sexual dysfunction and Desideria is frustrated. The two end up on holiday in Istanbul with two friends. Desideria falls madly in love with the sensual ambiance of the ancient, teeming city. She begins a passionate affair with a handsome Turkish guide, Yaman. Upon her return home, she learns that she is pregnant. Ramiro agrees to support the child, but unfortunately it dies in infancy and the grieving Desideria flees for Istanbul to find her lover. She finds him and they renew their torrid affair. Later she learns some distressing things about Yaman, but this does not stop her from becoming his sexual slave and a call girl for wealthy carpet sellers.

Who’s in it. Turkish Passion stars Ana Belén as Desideria, Georges Corraface as Yaman, Ramón Madaula as Ramiro and Sílvia Munt as Laura, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.5/10, Turkish Passion has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $3.8M at the box office.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on YouTube TV and Film Movement Plus. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Turkish Passion page.

If you liked it. Fans of Turkish Passion tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.