The perception of Alevism in Turkish cinema (1990-2020)

Cinema, which is accepted as the seventh of fine arts, is a complex, layered and wide field that can be examined with different methods. In the studies to be conducted, it is possible to examine aesthetic elements as well as cultural analyses by making use of the narrative and visual elements of films. As it is known, the images people watch can be decisive in how they perceive events and phenomena. The influence of cinema in making sense of events and phenomena has increased with the introduction of television broadcasting and then digital platform broadcasting. In this respect, cinema has affected Alevis as well as all segments of society, and this effect has deepened with the subject of Alevism in cinema. In this study, "What is the perception of Alevism in cinema and is Alevism explained to the audience by remaining faithful to the historical and religious structure?" questions were tried to be answered. The fact that films can be watched in cinema, television and digital platforms, as well as the fact that a film can be made into a TV series or a TV series can be made into a film, has led to a more comprehensive and broad approach to the study. In this sense, since it would not be sufficient to deal with the films shown in the cinema in order to understand the subject, a sample of television and digital platform series was selected in addition to cinema films. As a result of the analyses, it has been determined that six concepts, namely Alevi, Bektashi, Kızılbash (Redhead), the concept of Ocak (lineage of the dede) and the "dedelik Institution" (Community and religious leaders), Cem worship and semah, are predominantly used when it comes to Alevism in cinema. It can be said that these concepts related to Alevism in films and TV series are generally handled in a faithful manner and attention is paid to this issue in shaping the perception of Alevism. Another issue that needs to be mentioned about the films and TV series in the sample is that the films deal with sociological elements rather than religious elements related to Alevism. In addition, while Alevism is not the dominant element in the popular films in the sample, a realistic perception of Alevism is the dominant element in independent films. When we look at the TV series, there is a situation contrary to the films. In the series, there are religious elements rather than sociological elements. In this context, the Magnificent Century and Alef series, which attracted the attention of the audience, conveyed elements related to Alevism and the religious structure to the audience without moving away from the historical course. In the Yunus Emre Aşkın Yolculuğu (Journey of Love) series, the religious characteristics of Yunus Emre and Taptuk Emre were handled in parallel with the Sunni Islam doctrine, independent of historical reality. Key Words: Alevi, Bektashi, Redhead, Film, Series