Decolonizing the Screen and Fighting Against an Atmosphere of Fear – An Interview with Necati Sönmez
Date published: 09.06.2021
The walls are closing in on civil society in Europe and globally. Human rights violations are part of the day-to-day life of many citizens. These regressions of fundamental rights and attacks on civil society increasingly diminish the democratic space for activism and threaten the safety of its defenders. In this interview series, Hafiza Merkezi Berlin wants to highlight the struggles for human rights and against the shrinking civic space by interviewing the people on the frontlines. In these national and transnational cases, we find patterns of attacks, but also examples of local, national, and transnational solidarity that empower and equip civil society in the struggle.
The arts have been struggling immensely during the Covid-19 pandemic. But for many, political pressure and threats of explicit and implicit censorship are a regular concern. Lack of funding and recognition for critical filmmakers in Turkey and around the world are making it increasingly hard for young artists to pursue important cultural endeavors, leaving many voices from non-western states unheard. But rather than succumbing to a narrative of victimisation, there are efforts to increase the resilience of artists by forming networks and creating platforms that solidarity.
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Berke Göl spoke to Necati Sönmez, film critic, journalist, and documentary filmmaker about his organisation of the film festival “Documentarist”, the necessity of giving a platform for critical artists during a rise of global and local backlash, and the difficulties of getting recognition and funding under political pressure and censorship.
This year, you are organizing the 14th edition of the documentary film festival Documentarist. You’ve screened hundreds of films from all around the world, and hosted many filmmakers. How would you describe the goal of the festival? How has it evolved through the years due to the recent global backlash in the political sphere and the attack on documentary filmmaking itself?
Necati Sönmez (NS): One of the main goals of Documentarist is to introduce the contemporary documentary to the audience and to young documentary filmmakers in Turkey. For this purpose, we focus on established documentarians that are unknown in our country even to the filmmakers and film critics, because their films never make it to other film festivals in Turkey. Eyal Sivan, Helena Třeštíková, Heddy Honigmann, Stefan Jarl, Alan Berliner, Pirjo Honkasalo, Sean McAllister are among those masters, to name a few. What I believe is, if you want to be a documentary filmmaker, you really have to know these names and their films.
On the other hand, another important goal for us is to provide a platform to local filmmakers where they can share their most recent films both with the public and with their colleagues. Unfortunately, documentary films made in Turkey have a very limited chance to meet the festival audience, let alone the TV viewers. For many young filmmakers, Documentarist is one of the very few platforms where their films can be exhibited.
The global and local backlash in politics has, of course, a direct effect on documentary filmmaking and this determines the content of the festival. During these troubled years, the films we select are becoming more and more relevant to urgent issues we experience. Right now, for instance, we are curating a large section framed as ‘Extinction Rebellion’ (XR). This title came out spontaneously, as many films we saw during the selection process were related to ecological disasters surrounding us. But then, we try not to adhere to the current affairs, instead to concentrate on the creative aspects of documentary.
"The global and local backlash in politics has, of course, a direct effect on documentary filmmaking and this determines the content of the festival. During these troubled years, the films we select are becoming more and more relevant to urgent issues we experience."
What can you say about the Turkish government’s attitude towards the festival? Do you receive the support you need? How does the changing political climate in the country reflect on the festival?
NS: From the very beginning the governmental bodies –The Ministry of Culture, Municipality, etc.– have never sympathized with the festival, as I think its independent and young spirit was very clear right from the start. While the Ministry had the duty of supporting such cultural events, Documentarist is most probably the only film festival in Turkey that doesn’t receive any public support from the government. Thanks to such an economical censorship, we had to find alternative ways in order to survive, though it is always challenging. The worsening political climate affects the cultural climate too, and that inevitably affects our festival. We are receiving less sponsors, much less publicity, and zero coverage by state media.
To give you an example about the attitude of private sponsors, awhile ago a post-production studio who sponsored one of the festival awards committing to carry out the winning film’s post-production has refused to do so, after they watched the film and realized that it was related to the Kurdish issue.
"Thanks to such an economical censorship, we had to find alternative ways in order to survive, though it is always challenging. The worsening political climate affects the cultural climate too, and that inevitably affects our festival. We are receiving less sponsors, much less publicity, and zero coverage by state media."
The cultural sphere in Turkey is notorious for political pressure and censorship against all organizations and activities critical of the government. In recent years, it has certainly become more difficult to do anything that the government does not approve of. Apart from the “economical censorship” you mentioned, have you experienced such attempts at obstructing or limiting your projects? And in which ways did you fight back?
NS: So far, we have not faced any direct censorship from the officials, but we lost venues as they became hesitant in hosting our politically engaged program. When once a municipality of one of the districts in Istanbul assigned their venues to the festival, they wanted to interfere in the program and eliminate some films. We objected of course, but sadly this municipality was one that was run by the opposition party! Repression creates an atmosphere of fear and that paves the way for self-censorship, and we witness this year in, year out.
This year, you’ve curated the ‘Decolonizing the Screen’ program for bi’bak in Berlin. Due to the pandemic, the series of film screenings and discussions had to be postponed until the summer. How would you describe the program and its scope? How was the experience of curating the program and looking for ways to create dialogue during such a difficult time?
NS: I have been working on this thematic program since last summer. It was planned to go public at the beginning of the year but for obvious reasons, it had to be postponed. The film series have been rescheduled for August-September and it will last 8 weeks. Once a week, every Wednesday we will watch films from a colonized territory and discuss them from a decolonization perspective with an expert working on the topic. As I framed it in the curatorial statement, “Decolonizing the Screen shows a selection of perspectives which challenge the continued history of the colonial gaze and open up discussions on the legacy of ethnographic films as well as the politics of documentary production.”
The selection process was very enlightening and adventurous, as was searching for experts and contacting them during lock-down. Online communication with many distinguished scholars and researchers helped me build a network despite all restrictions. We also formed a closed working group and discussed the topics on a weekly basis. It was a very inspiring and joyful experience indeed.
After Turkey you’ve lived and worked in Cairo for some time, and now you are based in Berlin. How would you compare your experiences as a cultural worker in these three different countries?
NS: I lived in Cairo for over eight years. When I moved there it was the most exciting of times; it was the first months of the Arab revolution. The violence was still there occasionally, but the most difficult phase was over and young people were feeling very proud of gaining a victory against the dictator. The dictatorship was not toppled yet but its head was cut down. Consequently, there was a sense of freedom in the cultural scene. Many events, festivals, street activities were happening. Then sadly, everything went upside down in a few years. A new military dictatorship was restored and soon after, Egypt sank into a dark period when all the alternative cultural events halted or were banned. Now, it is absolutely impossible to organize any event out of the control of the state. In Turkey, against all odds and by taking certain risks, it is still possible to do that. Of course, I can’t compare these two countries with Germany in terms of cultural work. Here we have different challenges but that’s another story.
"There was a sense of freedom in the cultural[in Egypt]. Many events, festivals, street activities were happening. Then sadly, everything went upside down in a few years. A new military dictatorship was restored and soon after, Egypt sank into a dark period when all the alternative cultural events halted or were banned. "
There is growing interest and a desire to show solidarity in western societies toward countries where human rights and the freedom of expression are under threat. On the flip side, this interest can sometimes be limited to stories of victimhood. It seems that western governments or actors of civil society do not always focus on a genuine attempt at solidarity. Would you agree with this observation? If so, what are possible strategies to make an impact and turn things around?
NS: I totally agree. Victimization is one issue, and another is a patronizing attitude. But also, the western world is very selective in being in solidarity with other parts of the world. I mean, look at the “solidarity” in terms of vaccination in corona times!
For them, there are those who deserve solidarity and those who don’t. In Germany, for example, Palestinians are hardly worth any solidarity. Out of a guilt complex based on historical facts, any supportive act towards the Palestinian cause can be considered by some as anti-semitic. And while there are signs that the German public attitude towards Palestinians in Jerusalem and Gaza are changing, much of the political landscape, including the left, still feel the need to side with Israel, no matter how brutal its politics are or that international NGOs are declaring it an apartheid state. In short, double standards and hypocrisy do not only pertain to the so-called underdeveloped world. In order to try to turn things around, I think we need to challenge them and bring the matter to the table over and over again. Changes come very slow, sometimes it takes decades, but it is worth trying.
The pandemic has obviously had a negative effect on all sorts of cultural events, and the ways in which the actors of civil society can come together and cooperate. How do you perceive the current situation? What will happen in the near future?
NS: During the first months of the pandemic, I would dare to talk and ponder about the future, although it was quite blurry and ambiguous then. Now I hesitate in saying anything about the future. But the near future is almost here, and I think we tend to refuse taking lessons from what has happened to us. That applies to the cultural community and civil society too, I am afraid.
Necati Sönmez works as a film critic, journalist and documentary filmmaker. He is the initiator of Which Human Rights? Film Festival and one of the founders of Documentarist – Istanbul Documentary Days, which soon became the most important documentary festival in Turkey. He has served as jury member in over 30 festivals and curated documentary programmes as a guest curator. For 2021 he is a fellow at bi’bak.
Berke Göl is a film critic and the editor-in-chief of Turkey’s leading independent film magazine Altyazı where he has been working since 2003. He is a member of the Turkish Film Critics’ Association (SIYAD) and International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). He has also co-curated film programs about Turkish cinema for international festivals including Rotterdam and Crossing Europe. Twitter: @berke_gol