Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to analyze the movies of "Journey to the Sun" (1999) and "Waiting for the Clouds" (2003) by Yeşim Ustaoğlu in the context of ethnic minorities represented in the Republic of Turkey in terms of Habermas's public sphere the concept, exclusion of those who "do not belong themselves" from society, and transformations emerging in the national identity since 1980s. It is analyzed that what these two films contributed to the identity and belonging debates in Turkey, how they reveal new ways of thinking and how these problems relate the concept of public space. Manifestation of publicity in the cinema is revealed by referring the impact of the formation process of the public sphere on society with the definition of Jürgen Habermas' public sphere that constitutes the conceptual framework of the study. These films including identity and self-alienation debates in the public sphere in the period they made, offer new and different ways of thinking with questioning and historical perspective, and the use of original space, time. It is aimed to be resolved movies of "Journey to the Sun" and "Waiting for the Clouds" in the context of public space by using content analysis method. It is assessed that nature of transformations in the concept of identity, belonging, social relations emerging as a result of the movies we examined and the adverse consequences engendered by these changes as public areas of the cinema. At the same time, we conclude that Yeşim Ustaoglu confronts us with our differences through emphasis on different identities in the article.

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