Yücel Çakmaklı and National Cinema Debates
A new study reveals that economic calculations played as much of a role in the origins of the National Cinema movement as religious sensitivities.
Authored by Mehmet Kırtorun, a new study demonstrates with documents that, contrary to the mainstream narrative, economic rationales and budget tables played an important role in the formation of the National Cinema idea.
A New Perspective Brought by the Book
Mehmet Kırtorun's study titled "Yücel Çakmaklı, Founder of National Cinema", published by Edebiyat Ortamı Yayınları, brings unknown details in cinema history to light.
Prepared through period magazine collections and censorship records, this book prompts a re-examination of conventional assumptions regarding the birth of the movement.
Economic Foundations in Archive Documents
During Kırtorun's archival research, the column articles and calculations written by Yücel Çakmaklı in the magazine Tohum in November 1963 were brought to light.
The writings show that economic indicators such as the foreign currency paid for imported foreign films, the increase in the number of theaters, and the size of the sector came to the forefront.
The Emergence of the Term National Cinema
While the mainstream narrative considers National Cinema directly as a manifestation of religious sensitivity, the documents in the magazine show that the subject originated as an economic calculation.
It is stated that the term "National Cinema" was first used in March 1964 in the proposal that "a 'National Cinema Center' affiliated with the Ministry of Tourism and Promotion should be established."
Differences with Domestic Cinema
The book also touches upon the distinction between domestic cinema and national cinema, emphasizing that Yeşilçam produced domestic films, but its narrative templates were borrowed from foreign sources.