This is the colorful story of Mustafa Kemal, later known as Ataturk, the controversial and charismatic leader of Turkey after the first World War. The documentary traces the rise of modern Turkey, which acts as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East. Atarurk was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize even though his rise to power came from his role in the First World War. He established peace on a the borders of Turkey in marked contrast to the expansionist old Ottoman Empire. His first and greatest reform was to secularize the country in order to bring it into the modern world. Under his leadership, women were emancipated, certain minorities were guaranteed equal rights, and the Latin alphabet replaced of Arabic script. Along with rare archival footage there are commentaries from experts such as Prof. Vamik Volkan and Prof. Geoffrey Lewis, and interviews with his adopted daugther, Ulku, with Suleyman Demirel, President of the Turkish Republic, and with the Patriach of the Orthodox church. Turkey holds a key role in the mid Eastern affairs, and this film will enlighten students about its history.