Aahana Swrup
‘Faraway’ is a multilingual rom-com primarily set on a charming little island of Croatia. This Netflix original is directed by Vanessa Jopp and tells the story of Zeynep Altin. Zeynep finds herself in possession of a house in Croatia after her mother’s death. Overwhelmed and underappreciated by her family, Zeynep sees this house as an opportunity for her to fix her problems. However, what she does not anticipate is finding a man living on her property. Now Zeynep has to handle a rocky marriage and an angsty teenage daughter; while navigating new experiences in Croatia and her grumpy but rugged co-habitant, Josip Cega. This movie takes the audience on a journey of self-discovery and provides a satisfying conclusion to its protagonist’s arc by the end. Here are a few questions about the ending of ‘Faraway’ explained. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Faraway Plot Synopsis
Zeynep lives in a city with her family— and she is vastly unhappy with her life. Her father, husband, and teenage daughter all take her for granted and never show her appreciation or support. Their neglectful behavior continues through the passing of her mother. When her husband gets distracted by work— and the young new hire there— he bails on the funeral. As a result, Zeynep finally reaches her limit. She runs off to the house in Croatia that her mother had left for her. However, there, she meets Josip— the previous owner of the house and the man with whom she will be sharing part of the plot.
Zeynep plans on renting the house out to tourists, and Josip is vocally against the idea. The pair’s personalities and opinions continue to clash as Zeynep enjoys her newfound freedom while ignoring the problems that await her back home. Eventually, with the help of Conrad— a young property agent— Zeynep gets a huge offer for the house. She realizes she can use that money to invest in her husband’s restaurant as a start towards mending their marriage. But when she contacts him, she finds out that he has been seeing someone else since she left.
Lost and confused, Zeynep now has to face reality and figure out what to do with her life. Through Jopsip’s help, she finds a way to connect with her deceased mother and her past. Eventually, she finds happiness in her independence and gains a new outlook on life. Zeynep finally realizes that she’s allowed to prioritize her happiness. But— right on the heels of this realization— her family shows up at her front door unannounced.
Faraway Ending, Explained: Does Zey End up With Josip?
Zey and Josip start their relationship at odds with each other. They’re constantly bickering and can’t seem to agree on anything. Still, they are civil with one another, sometimes even going out of their way to be kind. When Zey gets drunk and falls off her bike onto the middle of the road, Josip carries her back to her house. He even indulges her and sings a song for her on the way back. He may be a bit straightforward and too opinionated— but he is also kind and considerate. He notices when things bother Zey and tries to help out— something that her husband never did.
Similarly, even if Zey infuriates Josip sometimes, he still enjoys her company. She brings snacks for his family and shows appreciation for their music. She is understanding and sympathetic when he tells her about his family. Though the two have started on the wrong foot, gradually, they start caring for one another. So far, Josip has been kind to Zeynep on occasion, but his affection for her becomes evident when he translates her mother’s diary from Croatian to English. In the same vein, Zeynep showcases how Josip has changed her for the better when she refuses to sell the house to Josip’s brother. Her time on this island and Josip’s influence have radically changed her. She now understands the value the house possesses outside of what it can do for her financially.
From the start, their chemistry has been undeniable. However, two things form the basis of their conflict. Zey’s marriage and her seeming intent on commercializing the house. As the plot progresses, those things get cast aside, which leads to Zey and Josip finally expressing their feelings for one another. Things get complicated when Zey’s daughter and the rest of her family show up at her house. Zeynep’s family life is complicated, and it’s about to get a lot more complicated now.
She still has to have a conversation with her husband about ending her marriage, and she has a teenage daughter to think of. For these reasons, the two decide it would be best for Josip to move away for a few weeks while Zey works things out. However, once her family leaves, Zey realizes those reasons were just a way for her to withhold her happiness from herself. She’s making excuses to delay her happy ending. In the end, she decides to follow him— a red balloon in hand as a symbol of her companionship and friendship. They kiss and find their happy endings with one another.
Is Zeynep’s Daughter Fai Gay?
In the film, Zeynep has a very fraught relationship with her daughter. When Zeynep initially moves away, Fai contacts her, and the two get into an argument. Fai seems unwilling to offer her mother any understanding while completely closing herself off from her at the same time. Fai is angry and resentful for apparently no reason other than as a teenage rite of passage. However, this changes when she visits her mother in Croatia.
Though the two have a rough start, they eventually talk about their problems and find a way to connect. As their relationship improves, Fai feels comfortable enough to come out to her mother. Though her attitude and nature had been partly a side-effect of her age, her sexuality also played a part in the mother-daughter’s deteriorating relationship. Fai wasn’t sure how her mother would handle the information, so she kept herself closed off from her. In the end, they understood each other better than they had been able to before, and Fai feels comfortable sharing with her mother the fact that she is bisexual.
Why Did Zeynep’s Mother Leave Her The House?
What kickstarted the whole plot into action was Katarina— Zeynep’s mother— and her decision to buy a house in Croatia for her daughter to one day inherit. So why exactly did she do it? Katarina had grown up on an island in Croatia. As a kid, she spent her days having adventures all around that island with her father. It was a crucial part of the woman she became. Her father had joined the army when she was five, and she had eventually realized that the thing she needed from life now was comfort and safety.
The reason Katarina bought the house in Croatia for Zeynep is that she could tell how unhappy Zeynep was with her life in the city. She saw the safe and mundane life she and her husband had built turn into a cage for Zeynep. Zeynep needed a kind of freedom that life in the city could never provide her. Katarina always wanted her daughter to live a happy life without any regrets— which was exactly why she left a house for Zeynep in her will. It was a chance for her to start a newer, happier life.
Read More: Is Netflix’s Faraway Based on a True Story?
