Devendra Kumar
The oldest film festival in Turkey, the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, has been rocked by a crisis of credibility as 27 film producers and directors withdrew their entries and 20 jury members resigned in protest over allegations of censorship. The drama began when one of the documentary films, “Kanun Hukmu” or “The Decree”, was removed from the festival’s national documentary film category. The film focuses on the experiences of a teacher and doctor who were dismissed from their jobs under a state of emergency imposed after the 2016 coup attempt. The festival’s director, Ahmet Boyacioglu, explained that the film was excluded due to ongoing legal proceedings against one of the people featured. However, the film’s director, Nejla Demirci, disagreed, stating that this was merely a “excuse” and “outright censorship”.
The controversy has sparked outrage across the Turkish arts world, with many artists and organizations speaking out in support of Demirci and criticizing the festival’s decision. The Free Art Assembly, which represents artists across many fields, described the exclusion as “an assault on artistic expression and creativity and a move to normalise censorship across artistic fields”. The filmmakers who withdrew from the festival also condemned the decision, calling it a “clear threat” to artistic freedom and declaring that it is unacceptable for festivals to submit to censorship.
The timing of the controversy is particularly significant, given the sensitive nature of the topic being addressed. The documentary film “Kanun Hukmu” sheds light on the widespread dismissals of teachers, doctors, and other public sector workers who were fired from their jobs through emergency decrees following the 2016 coup attempt. According to reports, more than 130,000 people were fired from their jobs through these decrees, with many critics arguing that this was a general crackdown against anyone viewed as opponents by the government.
As the festival prepares to run from October 7-14, the controversy has raised questions about the festival’s commitment to artistic freedom and its willingness to accommodate government pressure. The withdrawal of jury members and filmmakers has also sparked concerns about the festival’s credibility and its capacity to provide a platform for innovative and challenging storytelling. The Turkish film festival’s independence is now under scrutiny, and the controversy is likely to have far-reaching implications for the country’s cultural terrain.