The Representation of Women in Turkish Cinema from the Perspective of Feminist Theory

Abstract In the new era of Turkish cinema after 2000, its narrative structure was strengthened by the industry’s growth, the deterioration of the classical narrative structure, the rise of independent films, and various camera techniques associated with technological development. During this period, the diversification of women’s representations in films, driven by feminism, especially through the production of independent films, revealed different perspectives on gender roles. After 2000, the diversity of women’s cinematic representations in Turkish films and the increase of women directors broadened the areas of analysis in the literature. Women were increasingly portrayed in films as strong characters, not as objects but as subjects. This study examines Turkish films by male and female directors from the post-2000 period using feminist theory to analyze the issues discussed in these films and the differences in the ways female and male directors address women’s issues. For this purpose, Pelin Esmer’s Watchtower (2012) and Emin Alper’s A Tale of Three Sisters (2019) were selected for their portrayals of female unity, profiles of women within a masculine order, the complexity of female characters, and other gender-related issues.