The tale of Memed has long been a favorite in Turkey. The irrepressible boy, even while cornered by poverty, evil landlords, and the gendarmerie, snatches at happiness with a wild sweet panache. Kemal grew up with the stories of some rather wild forbears - Kurdish brigands and outlaws - and has distilled from them something like a folktale, set within a lyrical landscape of flint and thistles.
