Film journals and committed pedagogy today: learnings from the global long sixties

This article examines the enduring relevance of mid-twentieth-century anti-imperial pedagogical practices, focusing on the goal of consciousness-raising as one of the key goals of historic decolonisation. Situating its analysis within the broader theoretical frameworks of Third Cinema, anti-colonial thought, and Freirean critical pedagogy, the article takes as a case study the Turkish film journal Youth Cinema (1968–1971), which functioned as a platform for consciousness-raising through film literacy and guerrilla documentarianism. Combining dialogic teaching methods with grassroots filmmaking and mobile screenings, Youth Cinema aimed to democratise film as a medium of political and social transformation. The discussion considers overlaps between Turkish Third Cinema and a Freirean ‘problem-posing education’. Through archival research and pedagogical reflections, the article then highlights the relevance of these methodologies to contemporary challenges in film and media education. Theoretical insights from bell hooks and Lindiwe Dovey inform the exploration of ‘two-way’ approaches to teaching narrative and audiovisual media. By revisiting historic practices of liberational pedagogy, the article underscores the potential of film literacy to challenge systemic inequalities and inspire transformative learning. Ultimately, it calls for the prioritisation of consciousness-raising in educational praxis.