Director Yüksel Aksu: Cinema is a public service in promoting cities

Director Yüksel Aksu stated at the 1st Çatalca Film Festival that cinema is a powerful cultural tool promoting cities and countries, and expressed that local and central governments should treat cinema culture as a public policy.

Meeting at the Festival Closing

At the meeting held on the closing night of the 1st Çatalca Film Festival, the cultural power of cinema, the position of short films, and the contributions of festivals to cities were discussed. Moderated by Görkem Yeltan, the meeting was attended by jury president Yüksel Aksu and jury members Dilan Çiçek Deniz and Bülent Emrah Parlak.

The Promotional Power of Cinema

Emphasizing that cinema is not merely an art form, Aksu stated that cities can open up to the world through cinema. Giving an example from his hometown Muğla, Aksu noted that an entire city can be introduced to the world with a single filmmaker, and that this effect would be difficult to achieve even with million-dollar budgets.

Critique of Short Film Perception

Objecting to the view of short films as merely a stepping stone to feature-length cinema, Aksu compared the genre to short stories and poetry in literature. Stating that the short film is an independent genre, the director noted that with the development of technology, films can now be produced even with a mobile phone.

Cultural Investment Recommendations

Stating that investments in cinema constitute long-term city promotion, Aksu argued that municipalities should invest in the cultural development of youth just as much as infrastructure works. He expressed that cinema education should also take place in schools alongside music and painting.