in_the_news

Is Miracle in Cell No. 7 a true story? How the Turkish Netflix film was inspired by an award-winning South Korean original

April 7, 2020

The Turkish film, which has been trending on Netflix, is an adaptation of the South Korean original

Miracle in Cell No 7 has been trending on Netflix (Photo: PR)
Miracle in Cell No 7 has been trending on Netflix (Photo: PR)

As the lockdown continues, more and more people are delving through Netflix to find something to watch.

Alongside the streaming service’s array of popular documentaries and dramas, Miracle in Cell No 7, has risen through the ranks to become one of Netflix’s top trending movies.

Here’s all you need to know about Miracle in Cell No 7.

The film follows a young girl called Ova and her dad Memo who is wrongly accused of killing a young girl (Photo: PR)
The film follows a young girl called Ova and her dad Memo who is wrongly accused of killing a young girl (Photo: PR)

What is Miracle in Cell No 7 about?

The Turkish film – Yedinci Kogustaki Mucize in its native language – was released in 2019 and tells the story of the relationship between a young girl called Ova and her dad Memo, who has a cognitive disorder. The pair live happily until Memo is wrongly accused of killing a high-ranking military official’s daughter.

Memo ends up being sent to prison for the crime he didn’t commit. Despite being without her dad, Ova vows to prove his innocence. She enlists the help of her great grandmother and school teachers to find the witness Memo claimed he saw when the high-ranking military official’s daughter suffered an accident and died.

Meanwhile, in prison, Memo’s life goes from bad to worse when the prisoners turn against him and he’s sentenced to death by hanging when he’s found guilty of murder.

The story continues with the assumption that Memo has been executed, but a series of flashback scenes prove that another prisoner – Yusuf Aga – took his place when he realised that Memo needed to be reunited with Ova.

After being assisted out of jail, Memo and Ova are reunited and they sail away on a boat together to start a new life in a different country.

Is Miracle in Cell No 7 a true story?

The film is not based on a true story but it was inspired by a South Korean film that had the same name and was released in 2013.

However, unlike the Turkish version that pulls on the heartstrings, the original South Korean adaptation is more of a comedy-drama.

The popular film was also adapted and released in the Phillippines, Indonesia and India.

The film focuses on the bond between father and daughter (Photo: PR)
The film focuses on the bond between father and daughter (Photo: PR)

What has the reaction to the film been like?

After watching the film, many viewers took to social media to share their verdict.

“I just finished watching a miracle in cell no. 7 & let me just say I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much during a movie,” wrote one.

Another agreed when they posted on the social networking site: “Miracle in cell no. 7 made it known to the world that men can cry too.”

“So I watched this movie A miracle in cell No 7. I cried a lot. I’m not even ashamed to admit this,” a third Twitter user shared.

One viewer tweeted: “Miracle In Cell No. 7 is without a doubt an 11 out of 10. I haven’t cried like this in years. Work of art.”

This article was first published here.