G.O.R.A.

G.O.R.A. (2004) is a Turkish sci-fi comedy you can watch online on iFILM, directed by Ömer Faruk Sorak and built around comedian Cem Yılmaz. He plays Arif, a fast-talking carpet seller who fakes UFO photos to fleece gullible tourists back home.

Then the abduction turns real. A spaceship hauls Arif off to G.O.R.A., a distant planet ruled by the smug, power-hungry commander Logar. One street-smart Turk against an entire advanced civilization should be a lost cause. Instead Arif wins with cheek, bazaar cunning and a tongue that can talk anyone into anything. Yılmaz juggles several roles at once, and most gags ricochet off Star Wars or The Matrix.

For Turkish cinema this was a genuine phenomenon — one of the country's biggest box-office hits of its era and endlessly quoted ever since. Great fun for anyone who likes absurd humor and affectionate parody and doesn't expect a space opera to keep a straight face. Stream G.O.R.A. (2004) online on iFILM.