From urban politics to the politics of representation: representing Istanbul's urban transformation in urban activism documentaries of the 2000s

Official URL: http://192.168.1.20/record=b1500471 (Table of Contents)

This study aims to trace the documentary representations of the process of urban transformation conducted under the AKP government during the 2000s. It examines how different modes of oppositional politics that engage in a critique of neoliberal urban policies of the AKP government are articulated in ''urban activism documentaries''. The study entails textual analysis of films as well as interviews with the directors involved in the process of filmmaking. The thesis aims to contribute to the existing literature in urban studies by exploring the area of intersection between urban politics and the politics of representation. It investigates to what extent documentary films can serve as alternative channels of opposition against dominant discourses and practices of urban transformation in Turkey.