Presentation of social classes in Yavuz Özkan films

The social classes that emerge due to production relations in the capitalist system and engage in continuous struggles across different levels are often not portrayed with these characteristics in cinema. The primary reason for this is the early recognition by the ruling class of cinema's power over the masses, which they harness for their own interests. Those involved in the global and Turkish film industries have knowingly and willingly produced films for decades that prevent questioning of the establishment, obscure exploitation and inequality, and also generate profits. Despite this prevailing trend, a few artists, like Yavuz Özkan, have chosen not to conform. Özkan has depicted social classes in his films since his earliest works, always mindful of the economic and political contexts. He has told the audience about the effects of the radical changes in the country on people's social and individual lives by narrating them from a class perspective. This thesis examines Yavuz Özkan's films from the 1970s to the 2000s, focusing on their treatment of social class dynamics and identifying continuity and changes in how classes are shown in his cinema. In this analysis, Özkan's works -Maden (1978), Demir Yol (1979), Umut Yarına Kaldı (1988) and Bir Sonbahar Hikayesi (1994)- were studied through qualitative content analysis, using Marxist criteria regarding ownership of the means of production. These films were subjected to qualitative content analysis through the themes of "class consciousness", "from social to individual", "women and men", "emotions of the classes" and "spatial class dynamics". The findings indicate that different eras' economic, social and political contexts significantly influence and shape the portrayal of social classes in Özkan's cinematic works.