Publication: Ötekini belgelemek; belgesel sinemada kültürel temsiller
Abstract
Belgesel, Gerçek, Öteki, Temsil, Kültür ÖZET ÖTEKİNİ BELGELEMEK; BELGESEL SİNEMADA KÜLTÜREL TEMSİLLER Sinemanın kullandığı temsillerin, egemen kurumları ve geleneksel değerleri meşrulaştırmak ve ideoloji aşılamak yönünde bir işlevi vardır. Bu bağlamda tür özelliği olarak gerçeğin yeniden sunumu iddiasında olan ve izleyici açısından inanırlık düzeyi en az sorgulanan belgesel sinema bu işlevin yürütülmesi açısından önemli bir kültürel temsil arenası halini alır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, belgesel sinemanın yapım özelliklerini ve günümüz ticari yayıncılık anlayışını göz önünde bulundurarak, medyumu şekillendiren etik seçimleri ve “biz”in, “öteki”ni tanıma biçimini, oryantalist çalışmaları da göz önünde bulundurarak sorgulayarak, belgeselcinin bu noktadaki sorumluluğunu irdelemektir. Batı medyasında yer alan belgesel filmlerde yer alan kültürel yeniden sunumları örneklendirme amacıyla, yabancılar tarafından yapılan Türkiye konulu belgeseller analiz edilmiştir. Etkin bir kültürlerarası iletişim aracı olabilecek belgesele dair bu çalışmada biz ve öteki konumlandırmaları, temsil politikaları çerçevesinde çözümlenerek başarılı bir kültürlerarası iletişimin verileri sağlanmaya çalışılmıştır. Çünkü, farklı kültürlerin özgün sosyal, kültürel, politik yapısını değerlendirebilmekten uzak, turistik bir kartpostal gibi kültürel dokuyu sadece sembolik olarak sunabilen, bir nevi propaganda aracına dönüşmüş filmlerin üretimi belgesel sinema alanına hiçbir katkı sağlamayacağı gibi, kültürlerarası iletişim açısından da önkabullerin yinelenmesinden öteye geçemeyecektir.
DOCUMENTING THE OTHER; RE-PRESENTATIONS OF CULTURES IN DOCUMENTARY CINEMA The representations which cinema use have a function of legalizing dominant associations, traditional values and also instilling ideologies. In this context, as a genre, documentary, which has a claim of re-presenting reality and has the less questioned level in terms of its believability in its viewers’ mind, becomes a particularly important arena of cultural representations for carrying out such a function. The aim of this study is to analyze the production process of documentary film making considering the commercial worries of today, in addition considering the orientalist works to evaluate ethical choices which shape this medium and ways of depicting the “other” from “our” point of view, and finally to examine the responsibilities of the documentary film maker in this context. In order to exemplify the cultural representations in documentary films broadcasted in Western media, the documentary films produced by foreign film makers were analyzed. As documentary has a potential of being an affective intercultural communication tool, this study aims to contribute to a successful intercultural communication by analyzing “we” and the “other” emplacements through representation politics. Therefore to make such films which show cultural patterns as touristy symbols in depth of a postcard, far away from understanding the unique social, cultural and political characteristics, in a way which turn into tools for propaganda, will not contribute to the documentary genre. As a conclusion, such documentary films will not go further than repeating and reinforcing the prejudices in intercultural relations.
DOCUMENTING THE OTHER; RE-PRESENTATIONS OF CULTURES IN DOCUMENTARY CINEMA The representations which cinema use have a function of legalizing dominant associations, traditional values and also instilling ideologies. In this context, as a genre, documentary, which has a claim of re-presenting reality and has the less questioned level in terms of its believability in its viewers’ mind, becomes a particularly important arena of cultural representations for carrying out such a function. The aim of this study is to analyze the production process of documentary film making considering the commercial worries of today, in addition considering the orientalist works to evaluate ethical choices which shape this medium and ways of depicting the “other” from “our” point of view, and finally to examine the responsibilities of the documentary film maker in this context. In order to exemplify the cultural representations in documentary films broadcasted in Western media, the documentary films produced by foreign film makers were analyzed. As documentary has a potential of being an affective intercultural communication tool, this study aims to contribute to a successful intercultural communication by analyzing “we” and the “other” emplacements through representation politics. Therefore to make such films which show cultural patterns as touristy symbols in depth of a postcard, far away from understanding the unique social, cultural and political characteristics, in a way which turn into tools for propaganda, will not contribute to the documentary genre. As a conclusion, such documentary films will not go further than repeating and reinforcing the prejudices in intercultural relations.