Examination of the Limitations and Inconsistencies of Different Representations of Women Infiltrating Popular Cinema through the Film Aile Arasında (Among the Family)

Popular cinema constructs a fictional world that both reflects and reinforces societal perceptions of women's roles. Films play a crucial role in both depicting and legitimizing women’s position in society by representing their roles within their narratives. In recent years, Turkish popular cinema has produced numerous films centered on women and their stories. A closer examination of these films reveals that female characters are frequently portrayed as strong, economically independent individuals who are also sensitive to gender and human rights issues. However, despite the depiction of these women as independent, their narratives remain constrained by the conventions of popular cinema. A striking example of this limitation is the persistent association of female protagonists’ ultimate aspirations with marriage. In other words, while these films place women at the center of their narratives, their stories are largely confined to the theme of marriage, thereby restricting women’s broader representation. Contemporary Turkish popular cinema continues to exhibit the characteristic features of classical narrative cinema commonly associated with Yeşilçam by reinforcing, rather than challenging, the institution of marriage. This study examines Aile Arasında (Açıktan, 2017), a film that foregrounds female characters within its narrative.