Abstract:

The films of Buket Alakuş, one of the prominent filmmakers in German-Turkish cinema, frequently represent individuals with Turkish migration backgrounds. As a member of the German National Integration Plan (2007) delegation, it is essential to know what kind of integration perspective the films made by Alakuş portray. Beginning with her multi-award-winning feature film Anam – Meine Mutter [My Mother] (2001), we can observe a rise in integration in the films, Einmal Hans mit scharfer Soße [Hans with Hot Sauce] (2013), Die Neu [The New] (2015) and Der Hodscha und die Piepenkötter [The Hodscha and the Piepenkötter] (2016). On the axis of gender, culture and religious motifs in these films, a representation of integration that requires mutual and multifaceted responsibility prevails. When we analyse these four migration-themed films regarding the representation of integration, we can move away from the cinema of affected and duty and encounter social-economically strong women with cultural clashes, generational conflicts and religious rights demands. It is important to consider Alakuş’s films because conflicts and crises are often turned into comedy or drama in these films, even if they are culturally motivated and stem from specific fears and prejudices. Idealised representations and discourses are also necessary steps for integration, offering dialogue, discussion, listening and compromise.

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