In the circle of tradition and conservatism: the heroic child in Turkish cinema according to collective values

ABSTRACT

This study focuses on the representation of the child in Turkish cinema, particularly in films where the child is central to the narrative. Turkish cinema constructed a national cinematic language during the Yeşilçam period (1950 – 1980), the most popular period of Turkish cinema, and representation of the child during this period is the basis of this study. Sezercik was an essential character in the history of Turkish cinema, and Sezercik films, of which there are nine, provide the sample of this study. In these films, family and educational theories manipulate the child and assign him the role of savior and confer a heroic mission on him at the moment of the disintegration of the nuclear family pumped by modernism. The child can be seen with traditional Turkish gender roles, establishing a national Turkish identity for the child: urban, embodying masculine values, heroic, and enacting the role of savior despite the fact of being a child. This heroism is portrayed within a broad framework and a range of contexts, from rescuing the disintegrating or disintegrated family to winning the freedom of the nation and ensuring its continuity.

KEYWORDS:

• Child
• children films
• Turkish cinema
• Sezercik, child identity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. ‘Sezercik’ is the name of the main character in a film series that gained popularity during what is considered the golden age of Turkish cinema. Sezer İnanoğlu, a renowned actor in Turkish cinema, portrayed this character. Sezercik embodies various personas in each film within the series. At times, the character highlights the adventures and honesty of an orphaned child, while in other instances, Sezercik represents a child from a wealthy family background. These films were primarily created for family and young audiences, and the character of Sezercik has evolved into an iconic figure in Turkish cinema.

2. Yeşilçam Cinema refers to the 1950–1960s era cinema industry in Turkey.

3. These three films are one of the first trilogies in Turkish cinema.

4. Independent films started to be made in this era aside from theatrical films.

5. The 1980 coup d’etat was a military intervention. This era lasted about 10 years in Turkey. In the meantime, many amendments, such as Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel’s duty being suspended, cancelation of the Grand Assembly of Turkey, making political parties invalid, and sentencing of the party leaders were occurred (Gürkan 2017, 46).

6. The film Yalı (1990), which is among Sezercik films and the last film of Sezercik, was not included in the study. In this film, Sezercik is no longer a child but a young adult. The film is about the conflict between the capitalist order and tradition in a nuclear family living in a mansion inherited from a traditional noble family. The character Sezer plays a young man in his 25s.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the European Commission.