Antiochia As A Cinematic Space and Semir Aslanyürek as a Film Director From Antiochia

Abstract

This study will look at cinematic representation of Antiochia, a city with multiple identities, with a multi-cultural, long and deep historical background in Turkish director Semir Aslanyürek’s films. The article will focus on Aslanyürek’s visual storytelling through his beloved city, his main characters and his main conflicts and themes in his films Şellale (2001), Pathto House (2006), 7 Yards (2009), Lal (2013), Chaos (2018). Semir Aslanyürek was born in Antiochia in 1956. After completing his primary and secondary education in Antiochia (Hatay), he went to Damascus and began his medical training. As an amateur sculptor, he won an education scholarship with one of his statues for art education in Moscow. After a year, he decided to study on cinema instead of art. Semir Aslanyürek studied Acting, Cinema and TV Film from 1980 to 1986 in the Russian State University of Cinematography (VGIK), Faculty of Film Management, and took master's degree. While working as a professor at Marmara University, Aslanyürek directed feature films and wrote many screenplays. This article will also base its arguments on Aslanyürek's cinematic vision as multi-cultural and as a multi-disciplinary visual artist.