The power of Women’s Cooperatives: “Female Wonder” documentary meets the audience at IGU!

Faculty of Fine Arts - gsf@gelisim.edu.tr

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Faculty of Fine Arts - gsf@gelisim.edu.tr

24 March 2026 Tuesday

The power of Women’s Cooperatives: “Female Wonder” documentary meets the audience at IGU!

Organized in collaboration with CIRIEC Türkiye and Business Administration department of Istanbul Gelisim University, the screening of the documentary “Female Wonder (Kadın Eli)” was held with the participation of students at the university. Directed by Lecturer Ahmet Bikiç, the documentary was produced as an outcome of a social responsibility project carried out by the IGU Film Academy.

The film presents a cinematic narrative of the production processes, solidarity culture, and local development initiatives of a women’s cooperative operating in Iğdır, located on Türkiye’s eastern border.

The documentary not only tells a story of production but also brings into focus the cultural and social fabric of Iğdır, a city where the sun first rises over Türkiye. Lives shaped under the shadow of Mount Ararat and the hopes growing along the banks of the Aras River reflect the resilience and solidarity that emerge within a border geography. Through its lens, the film captures the traces of time on people’s faces, the memory embedded in the land, and the rhythm of daily life that begins with the first light of the morning. In doing so, Iğdır appears not merely as a place, but as a witness to history, cultural transitions, and collective memory.

Director Ahmet Bikiç describes the starting point of the documentary as an effort to reveal the multilayered cultural structure of Iğdır. According to Bikiç, the city represents not only a geographical location but also a space of memory where borders, identities, and human stories intersect. In line with this perspective, the film adopts a simple yet profound visual language. Long takes, the use of natural light, and an editing approach that allows the space to speak for itself aim to establish a direct connection between the audience and the geography portrayed on screen. Bikiç also emphasizes that academic production should not remain confined to theoretical frameworks but should transform into projects that engage with society and contribute to collective memory.

The screening offered students not only a cinematic experience but also an opportunity to reflect on themes such as social responsibility, local development, and the visibility of women’s labor. The production process of the women’s cooperative portrayed in the documentary, along with its culture of solidarity and its contribution to the local economy, attracted significant interest from participants. Following the screening, attendees shared their thoughts and reflections on the social and cultural themes addressed in the film.

This event, held at Istanbul Gelisim University, stands as a notable example of how academic initiatives can intersect with social responsibility, while also highlighting the importance of documenting local stories through cinema as a way of preserving cultural memory.

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