Identity in the Post-1990 Turkish Cinema: Two cases on the Representations of Kurds and Greeks

ABSTRACTA film is, above all, a sociological document. It might be claimed that films of a certain culture mirror the society they were produced in by reflecting such notions as the sociocultural values, historical development, and economic situation of a society. In this context, the cinematic representations of Kurdish and Greek origin citizens of Turkey ?valuable contributors to the rich cultural diversity of the country established on a rich sociocultural heritage inherited from the Ottoman Empire ? provide rich material for a study in the field of cinema sociology. In this study, identity is defined as each individual?s way of self-definition. It is in constant interaction with the society at large, and thus, it is in constant transformation. In cinema, the representations of such notions as femininity, masculinity, religion, and ethnicity emerge as identity-related issues. The determiners of cultural identities occur as one?s name, language, religious beliefs and rituals. Kurdish and Greek characters in Turkish Cinema exist since the earliest years of its conception. Until nineties, the existence of these characters hardly go beyond certain established patterns and stylised accent. The social transformation that took place in the late nineties is interrelated with the world and Turkey?s sociopolitical conjuncture. Post-nineties, different identities come to be represented with culture-specific names, languages, and beliefs, accordingly becoming more visible in the cinematic universe.