The eighth of the Stars in Vision Interview Series organized by Istanbul Gelişim University (IGU) Faculty of Fine Arts (FAF) Radio, Television and Cinema Department, with the title The Effect of Eastern Myths and Tales on Cinematic Narrative, under the moderation of Kerem Yükseloğlu. It was held with the participation of Hale Torun.
Starting by talking about his studies on the effect of eastern myths and tales on cinematic narrative, Torun stated that eastern tales are not something new for the west, that the east has always been a subject that can be studied from the west and is the subject of research, on the contrary, she set out with the aim of looking at the east from the east. She stated that it is necessary to study the East in a multidisciplinary field.
Under the title “Tale belongs to geography”, she emphasized that the myths belong to the geography they are in, even though they prove that there is a collective unconscious for people. She gave examples from Nacer Khemir's films, saying that the way oriental symbols are used in cinema is ignored.
Torun, who categorizes the oriental metaphors in the cinema narrative and explains them with separate examples, stated that these metaphors are repeated in the narratives. Emphasizing on the metaphors of circle, desert, door, mystery, woman, well and city, Torun elaborated on their meanings and their effects on the narrative, and focused on the differences in meaning of these metaphors in the western and eastern narratives. Derviş stated that the meanings of characters such as the mysterious woman can be discovered through similar readings, and the differences in meaning between Hollywood and European Cinema can be revealed.
Torun, who shared his views on how myths find a response both in social life and in cinema today, focused on the concept of root story and cultural influences. He stated that all these cultural differences can be examined through fairy tales, and that fairy tales can be looked at to understand a geography and culture.
The interview ended after the question-answer session with the participants.
We would like to thank Hale Torun for sharing her valuable information with us.
