The Applicant

Koca’s kinetic debut follows the struggles of a failed graduate student from Turkey in 2017 Berlin. Leyla, 26, lives in a state of limbo after her thesis was declared not “academic enough.” In response, she filed a lawsuit against the university, and while waiting for a verdict, she works as a cleaner at a trendy hostel, writes in her diary, and worries about being sent back to Turkey. (Off days are spent drinking and snorting ketamine.) Leyla also wants to be a writer, and at the suggestion of friends, she considers turning her diary into a series of performances and a memoir. Meanwhile, she hooks up with a Swedish lover and begins to fall for him, frequently traveling to Gothenburg to spend time together. Koca is at her best when focusing on Leyla’s everyday experiences; she does a good job blending the mundane details (diary entries parse the plots of Turkish soap operas and tally the “treasures” Leyla finds left behind at the hostel) and nightlife exploits, but as Leyla’s star as a performer rises and her lawsuit verdict nears, the narrative wobbles as it rushes to its unbalanced ending. Leyla’s a charismatic enough lead, but she’s let down by the plotting. Agent: Elias Altman, Massie & McQuilkin. (Feb.)