VIDEOACT · The Use of Video as an Activist Tool of Self-Representation for Turkish practitioners in Germany

This project examines the use of video as an activist tool by practitioners of Turkish descent, who are living in Germany. This will be conducted by means of the textual and discourse analysis of the videos, which employ different aesthetic and formal elements, as well as interviews with the producers of the videos, in order to see how they portray the lived reality of Turkey from afar and its effects on the every-day experience within Germany. In the context of the activist nature of these productions and the interdisciplinary approach of the project, the reception of these videos will be measured so as to understand the social impact they have.It aims at contributing to the knowledge of how video can be used to portray social and political issues that have a direct effect on the livelihood of those creating the media. The videos in question will be analyzed in order to understand the censored knowledge they bring to light. The project will also reveal how the practitioners continue their various explorations with video in their new German contexts, a recent development that contextualizes the videos from a new perspective. In the context of increased identity politics and the resurgence of nationalism, this project has a clear societal impact: because of the increasing number of Turkish citizens seeking asylum in Germany and European Union member states at large, since the 2016 attempted coup d’état in Turkey, the information in video explorations are key in revealing the perceptions of the current climate within Turkey. As well as understanding how video can be used as a form of political participation which allows the implementation of cultural and political identities and the formation of ties with others struggling in similar circumstances. The outputs of the project will include journal articles, and conferences where the research results will be shared, as well as screenings open to the public, opening up dialogue on the issues raised in the videos.