BORDER, MIGRATION, AND WAITING: MY MARLON AND BRANDO

This study examines Hüseyin Karabey’s 2008 film My Marlon and Brando within the framework of border studies, aiming to show that migration is not merely a physical act but a multidimensional experience. The analysis focuses on how the film represents the border through spatial, emotional, cultural, and bureaucratic dimensions. Methodologically, the film is interpreted through scene-based analyses that are connected with theoretical perspectives. The ideas of Anzaldúa on the cultural and psychological aspects of the border, Balibar on its political nature, Mezzadra and Neilson on its productive function, and Nail on its dynamic form are discussed in relation to the film’s narrative. The findings indicate that the border is not simply a geographical line but a structure that alters the rhythm of everyday life, transforms emotional experience, redefines identity, and constantly interrupts movement. The scenes set in hotel rooms, the repeated document checks, the closed gates, and the redefined journeys reveal the invisible yet powerful mechanisms of the border. In conclusion, the study argues that My Marlon and Brando makes a significant contribution to migration cinema by portraying the emotional and social dimensions of the border through a coherent and comprehensive cinematic approach.