Turkish Horror Cinema’s Headway Toward ‘Genre’ and Its Recent Trajectory

Çağrı Yılmaz

Article Details

Turkish Horror Cinema’s Headway Toward ‘Genre’ and Its Recent Trajectory

Authors:

Çağrı Yılmaz

Publisher:

Selcuk University

Main Topics:

Radyo-Televizyon

Journal:

Selçuk İletişim Vol.17 Issue 2, pp.258-287

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

10/2024

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001329618

pISSN:

2148-2942

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Although there were horror films in pre-2000 Turkish cinema, traces of the horror genre were quite vague. This study discusses how horror has gradually become institutionalised and gained a generic identity in post-2000 Turkish cinema. The research is structured into two stages, encompassing qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative analysis points to a body of horror films that derive their content largely from a Turkish-Islamic synthesis, albeit with specific influences of foreign counterparts, and manifest a widespread consensus on recurring themes, characters, places, time, and iconographic elements. These films serve as spaces of inequalities where class and gender dynamics are negotiated, and act as ideological reinforcers, in which blended religious-cultural myths are transferred into the realm of discourses, and in return, the discourses reconfigure the myths. The quantitative analysis shows that a growing number of films, apart from some exceptional years, follow established generic conventions, primarily due to audience interest and expectations, and, in return, motivate the audience via a sort of mirror effect: The audience is stimulated to watch them to re-experience horror myths they are familiar with in actual life. The substantial audience for these films indicates their popularity, encouraging investments from production and distribution stakeholders and fuelling increased production in the highly profitable genre. This pattern also highlights a proclivity towards monopolisation, as the quantitative findings indicate. Overall, the qualitative and quantitative findings validate the inception of a horror genre in national cinema, indicating the establishment of Turkish Horror Cinema in the 21st century.

 Although there were horror films in pre-2000 Turkish cinema, traces of the horror genre were quite vague. This study discusses how horror has gradually become institutionalised and gained a generic identity in post-2000 Turkish cinema. The research is structured into two stages, encompassing qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative analysis points to a body of horror films that derive their content largely from a Turkish-Islamic synthesis, albeit with specific influences of foreign counterparts, and manifest a widespread consensus on recurring themes, characters, places, time, and iconographic elements. These films serve as spaces of inequalities where class and gender dynamics are negotiated, and act as ideological reinforcers, in which blended religious-cultural myths are transferred into the realm of discourses, and in return, the discourses reconfigure the myths. The quantitative analysis shows that a growing number of films, apart from some exceptional years, follow established generic conventions, primarily due to audience interest and expectations, and, in return, motivate the audience via a sort of mirror effect: The audience is stimulated to watch them to re-experience horror myths they are familiar with in actual life. The substantial audience for these films indicates their popularity, encouraging investments from production and distribution stakeholders and fuelling increased production in the highly profitable genre. This pattern also highlights a proclivity towards monopolisation, as the quantitative findings indicate. Overall, the qualitative and quantitative findings validate the inception of a horror genre in national cinema, indicating the establishment of Turkish Horror Cinema in the 21st century.

 Although there were horror films in pre-2000 Turkish cinema, traces of the horror genre were quite vague. This study discusses how horror has gradually become institutionalised and gained a generic identity in post-2000 Turkish cinema. The research is structured into two stages, encompassing qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative analysis points to a body of horror films that derive their content largely from a Turkish-Islamic synthesis, albeit with specific influences of foreign counterparts, and manifest a widespread consensus on recurring themes, characters, places, time, and iconographic elements. These films serve as spaces of inequalities where class and gender dynamics are negotiated, and act as ideological reinforcers, in which blended religious-cultural myths are transferred into the realm of discourses, and in return, the discourses reconfigure the myths. The quantitative analysis shows that a growing number of films, apart from some exceptional years, follow established generic conventions, primarily due to audience interest and expectations, and, in return, motivate the audience via a sort of mirror effect: The audience is stimulated to watch them to re-experience horror myths they are familiar with in actual life. The substantial audience for these films indicates their popularity, encouraging investments from production and distribution stakeholders and fuelling increased production in the highly profitable genre. This pattern also highlights a proclivity towards monopolisation, as the quantitative findings indicate. Overall, the qualitative and quantitative findings validate the inception of a horror genre in national cinema, indicating the establishment of Turkish Horror Cinema in the 21st century.

 2000 öncesi Türk sinemasında korku filmleri bulunmakla birlikte bir tür olarak korkunun izleri oldukça siliktir. Bu araştırma; korkunun, 2000 sonrası Türk sinemasında aşamalı olarak kurumsallaştığı ve türsel bir kimlik kazandığını sorunsal bir temelde tartışmaya açmaktadır. Araştırma, yeni binyılda çekilen Türk korku filmlerinin, yerli sinemada bir korku türü oluşturduğunu ortaya koymak için nitel ve nicel, iki aşamalı olarak tasarlanmıştır. Araştırmanın nitel verilerden edindiği bulgular; yabancı türdeşlerinin etkisini taşıyan ancak içeriğini büyük ölçüde Türk-İslam bireşiminden alan, yinelenen tema, karakter, mekân, zaman, ikonografik ögeler vb. üzerine geniş çapta uzlaşan bir korku filmi topluluğuna işaret etmektedir. Muhafazakâr yapısıyla bu filmler; bir yönden harmanlanmış dinsel-kültürel söylenin söylemsel alana aktarıldığı, diğer yönden ise söylemin söyleni yeniden yapılandırdığı ideolojik pekiştireçler, özellikle sınıf ve cinsiyet gibi olguların müzakere edildiği eşitsizlik alanlarıdır. Nicel verilerden elde edilen bulgular; bazı istisnai yıllar hariç sayısı sürekli artan filmlerin, izleyici ilgisi ve beklentisinin etkisiyle birtakım türsel uylaşımları yerleşik hale getirdiğini göstermiş, bir tür aynalama etkisi ile izleyiciyi, gerçek yaşamda dinlediği ya da duyduğu korku söylencelerini yeniden deneyimlemek için güdülediğini düşündürmüştür. Filmlerin gördüğü ilgi izleyici sayısıyla doğrulanmış, yapım ve dağıtım paydaşlarının yüksek kazanç sağlayan türe yatırım yapmasına etki etmiş ve böylece yenilerinin çekilmesini güvencelemiştir. Bu durum, araştırmada sunulan nicel verilerin gösterdiği üzere tecimsel kaygılar taşıyan bazı yapım ve dağıtım şirketlerinin tekelleşme eğilimini de açığa vurmuştur. Sonuç olarak nitel ve nicel verilerin yorumlanmasıyla elde edilen bulgular, 2000 sonrası yerli sinemada bir korku türünün ve Türk Korku Sinemasının varlığını imlemiştir.

Article Details

Turkish Horror Cinema’s Headway Toward ‘Genre’ and Its Recent Trajectory

Authors:

Çağrı Yılmaz

Publisher:

Selcuk University

Main Topics:

Radyo-Televizyon

Journal:

Selçuk İletişim Vol.17 Issue 2, pp.258-287

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

10/2024

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001329618

pISSN:

2148-2942

Genre

Horror genre

Genre criticism

Turkish cinema

Turkish horror cinemaTür

Korku türü

Tür eleştirisi

Türk sineması

Türk korku sineması

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Çağrı Yılmaz

Publisher: Selcuk University

Main Topics: Radyo-Televizyon

Journal: Selçuk İletişim Vol.17 Issue 2, pp.258-287

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 10/2024

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001329618

pISSN: 2148-2942

Issues

Authors:

Çağrı Yılmaz

Publisher:

Selcuk University

Main Topics:

Radyo-Televizyon

Journal:

Selçuk İletişim Vol.17 Issue 2, pp.258-287

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

10/2024

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001329618

pISSN:

2148-2942