Factories of Memory: Remembering the 12 September Military Coup in Beynelmilel and Bu Son Olsun

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

2. AIM

3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

4. STRUCTURE

5. MOTIVATION

6. MATERIAL

7. A BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

8. CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

8.1 WHAT IS MEMORY?

8.2 INDIVIDUAL VS COLLECTIVE MEMORY

8.3 CULTURAL MEMORY

8.4 HISTORY VS MEMORY : THE PAST PRESENT AND THE PRESENT PAST

8.5 FILM, HISTORY AND MEMORY

9. CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY

9.1 RATIONALE FOR SELECTION OF CASES

9.2 METHOD

9.3 LIMITATIONS AND CRITICISM

10. CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS

10.1 A RURAL PERSPECTIVE: BEYNELMİLEL

10.1.1 Synopsis of film

10.1.2 Beynelmilel as a 12 September Film

10.1.3 Silence and Peace: How Does Beynelmilel Construct Memory?

10.1.4 Communicative Memory

10.1.5 Memory of Objects

10.1.6 Seeing Reality On the Ground: Comparison of My Readings to The Reviews

10.2 WILL IT BE THE LAST?: SILENCİNG SOCIETY IN BU SON OLSUN

10.2.1 Synopsis of film

10.2.2 Bu Son Olsun as a 12 September Film

10.2.3 Communicative Memory

10.2.4 Memory of Objects

10.2.5 Reality On the Ground Two: Comparison of My Readings To the Reviews

11. CONCLUSION

Objectives and Research Themes

This thesis examines how the Turkish 12 September 1980 military coup is represented in popular cinema, focusing specifically on the films Beynelmilel (2006) and Bu Son Olsun (2012). The research seeks to understand how these cinematic products function as tools for constructing, preserving, or suppressing collective memory by analyzing both their internal narratives and their reception by contemporary audiences via online reviews.

• Application of collective and cultural memory theories to film studies.
• Comparative analysis of rural versus urban perspectives in 12 September cinema.
• Investigation of the role of humor and tragicomedy in the cinematic representation of trauma.
• Evaluation of the impact of state-imposed censorship and depoliticization on social remembrance.
• Analysis of audience reception to determine the existence of a "collective memory" versus "collective amnesia."

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Summary of Chapters

INTRODUCTION: Provides an overview of the interest in memory studies and establishes the 12 September 1980 military coup as a seminal event that fundamentally reconfigured Turkish political and social life.

AIM: Defines the research objective of examining how Beynelmilel and Bu Son Olsun reconstruct the 1980 military coup and influence current collective memories.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS: Outlines the primary inquiries regarding how these films reconstruct the coup and whether they challenge existing collective memories.

STRUCTURE: Describes the organization of the thesis, moving from theoretical frameworks to methodology and the detailed analysis of the chosen films.

MOTIVATION: Discusses the significance of analyzing cinematic representations of historical trauma and their ongoing influence on Turkish society.

MATERIAL: Introduces the two selected films and the historical context of the military coup in Turkey.

A BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: Summarizes the political climate surrounding the 1980 coup and the subsequent censorship that impacted the film industry.

CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND: Details the theoretical framework, including memory typologies by Maurice Halbwachs, Jan Assmann, and Astrid Erll.

CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY: Explains the use of qualitative content analysis and the interpretation of audience reviews from online platforms.

CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS: Provides the detailed examination of Beynelmilel and Bu Son Olsun, comparing cinematic narratives with public reception.

CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the findings, confirming that the films highlight fragmented individual memories rather than constructing a unified collective memory, reflecting a state of collective amnesia.

Keywords

12 September, collective memory, cultural memory, memory studies, film studies, reception studies, history, trauma, Turkey, cinema, censorship, political representation, social identity, amnesia, narrative analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this research?

The research explores how the 12 September 1980 military coup in Turkey is represented in post-2000 popular films and how these representations affect the collective memory of the event.

Which films are analyzed in this study?

The study focuses on Beynelmilel (2006) and Bu Son Olsun (2012).

What is the primary goal of the author?

The aim is to investigate whether these films effectively reconstruct the trauma of the coup or if they merely perpetuate a state of collective amnesia among the audience.

Which scientific methodology is applied?

The author uses qualitative content analysis of both the cinematic texts (narrative and mise-en-scène) and audience reviews from online platforms like IMDB and YouTube.

What topics are discussed in the main analysis?

The analysis covers the representation of the coup in rural versus urban settings, the use of symbols, the construction of "communicative memory," and the juxtaposition of the films' political stance against audience reception.

Which keywords define this work?

Key terms include 12 September, collective memory, cultural memory, film studies, history, and collective amnesia.

How does the film 'Beynelmilel' depict the coup?

The film uses humor and tragicomedy within a provincial setting to critique military authority and show how state suppression impacted the daily lives of ordinary citizens.

How does 'Bu Son Olsun' differ from 'Beynelmilel'?

While sharing a similar tragicomic and depoliticized narrative style, Bu Son Olsun is set in Istanbul, placing the narrative closer to the center of state authority compared to the rural setting of Beynelmilel.

Does the audience remember the coup through these films?

No, the research concludes that audiences are mostly focused on the quality of acting and entertainment value, failing to engage with the deeper political or historical trauma of the 1980 coup.

What is the final conclusion regarding Turkish collective memory?

The author concludes that Turkish society exhibits "collective amnesia" rather than collective remembrance, partly due to systemic suppression of historical information in education and media.