SENSORY ETHNOGRAPHIC PRACTICES IN TURKEY: LIFE ON THEIR BACKS (2004) AND LAST SEASON SHAWAKS (2009)

This article explores documentary film production in Turkey, focusing on sensory ethnographic cinema, an artistic approach that highlights local cultural practices through the lens of the body, senses, and emotions. While not explicitly categorized as sensory ethnography, certain Turkish documentaries such as Life on Their Backs (Yeşim Ustaoğlu, 2004) and Last Season Shawaks (Kazım Öz, 2009) embody similar artistic elements. By highlighting the key characteristics of these two films -such as immersing the audience in a ‘being there’ experience, their expansive views including non-human aspects, and their distinct regional focus- the article suggests that the geographical scope of sensory etnography extends beyond the works produced by the Sensory Ethnography Lab where this genre originated. Accordingly, the article conducts a comparative analysis of Life on Their Backs, Last Season Shawaks, and Sensory Ethnography Lab’s Sweetgrass (Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Ilisa Barbash, 2009) within the theoretical frameworks of new materialism and actor-network theories.