Ali and Ramazan

Ali and Ramazan are two boys from very different backgrounds who land in the same Istanbul orphanage. They quickly see eye to eye and fall into a loving relationship as children, bringing light to one another and to the other orphans in this dreary adopted home. Ramazan is a charmer, the school master's favorite (which we later learn is not such a positive thing), the clown among the boys, and the only one with a real handle on things outside the orphanage's walls. He takes Ali under his wing, and by the time they turn 18 and are loosed into Istanbul's mean streets, Ali and Ramazan are a pair. What happens next is both tragic and beautiful. Ali goes off to the army but loses hope when he's quickly discharged and turns to drugs. Ramazan makes a name for himself as a successful street hustler, which gets him into deep trouble. Neither boy makes it past age 19. Much like The Kite Runner, Ali and Ramazan will leave you reeling with emotion.