Women as film directors in Turkish cinema

Abstract

Representations of women, or more exactly of gender, and the presence and works of women filmmakers constitute an important area of analysis for gender studies and feminist film theories. In Turkey the presence and the participation of women in the public sphere have been one of the important objectives of the Kemalist modernization project since the founding of the modern nation-state in 1923. However, despite the modernizing efforts to empower women in different spheres of life there was no woman director in Turkish commercial feature cinema until the beginning of the 1950s. Since the beginning of the 2000s the number of women directors has increased significantly, reaching a number well above that of the entire period before. This article investigates the reasons behind this increase based on quantitative data gathered from secondary sources and in-depth interviews with women producers and directors. It also questions whether and to what extent the increase in the number of women film directors contributed to the production of ‘women’s films’, based on a qualitative analysis of films produced by women directors between the years 2004 and 2013. The results show that in addition to technological and aesthetic changes in the industry, the increase in the availability of international and national public funding for low-budget independent film productions and the enlargement of the women’s movement allowed more women directors to enter the film industry. While half of the films made by women directors in the 2000s could be qualified as ‘women films’, the other half remained, largely due to market forces, within the conventions of popular or art house cinema.

Perception of the barriers to women’s professional development in the cultural sector: A gender perspective study

“…In recent years, gender inequality in the creative sector has received unprecedented attention. Questions that have been of particular interest in sociology and women’s studies include the underrepresentation of women in the cultural workforce, particularly in key creative roles and decision-making positions (Conor et al, 2015; Hesmondhalgh and Baker, 2015; Ross, 2014), their limited access to resources (Loist and Prommer, 2019; Mennel, 2002), and the lower visibility of the work they produce (Corbat and González, 2019; Uğur Tanrıöver, 2017). Studies of the gender gap have also sought to identify different causal factors in specific cultural industries, time periods, professional positions, and countries.…”

“…In addition to this association of creativity with masculinity, evidence shows that women face difficulties in penetrating male-dominated networks of influence (through which artists, or cultural professionals in general, make contact with potential funders and donors) and more broadly in accessing funding (Loist and Prommer, 2019; Pujar, 2016; Uğur Tanrıöver, 2017). These experiences have drawn attention to the existence of structural discrimination (UNESCO, 2014; Wittel, 2001).…”