Horror and Memory: Traces of Collective Memory in Turkish Horror Cinema

The deep narrative universe of Turkish horror cinema that reflects collective memory, Islamic and Turkish mythology, spatial reminders and traumatic memories combine to offer individuals a story that is both familiar and uncanny. In addition to examining the traces of collective memory in Turkish ho...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Çağla Coşar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Istanbul University Press 2024-11-01
Series:4. Boyut Medya ve Kültürel Çalışmalar Dergisi
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Online Access:https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/05863B5602E6400289AFCFC5FBF233E7
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Summary:The deep narrative universe of Turkish horror cinema that reflects collective memory, Islamic and Turkish mythology, spatial reminders and traumatic memories combine to offer individuals a story that is both familiar and uncanny. In addition to examining the traces of collective memory in Turkish horror cinema as a collective reflection of fear and remembrance, this study aims to reveal the relationship of Turkish horror cinema with collective memory and its function of confronting and dramatising social traumas. In this context, to go beyond the classical Turkish horror cinema and offer different perspectives related to collective memory, Küçük Kıyamet (Durul Taylan and Yağmur Taylan, 2006), Baskın: Karabasan (Can Evrenol, 2015) and Musallat (Alper Mestçi, 2007) were evaluated through content analysis by identifying certain themes. While these films show how cultural memory is represented in cinema; spatial memory, especially abandoned buildings and ceremonial spaces, are important contexts in which horror elements take place; traumatic memory reveals how social events deeply affect individuals and society. Contexts such as fear of earthquakes, religious fears, immigration, and social traumas are treated metaphorically and symbolically in these films, revealing that horror films offer audiences both a psychological and cultural experience. In this context, horror cinema plays an important role in keeping collective memory and traumatic experiences alive and reproducing them.
ISSN:2822-6623