Turkey’s Ministry of Culture Censors Film on Dersim Massacres

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s ministry of culture has censored the film “Gold” by Turkish director Kazim Öz. The film premiere was held in the framework of Istanbul Film Festival on April 11 with the film director taking a unique step to protest the ministry’s decision.

As Ermenihaber reports citing Agos news agency, during the screening of the film scenes that were removed by the order of the ministry, the screen blackened displaying the following notice: “You are not allowed to watch this scene, as the General Cinema Department Council of Turkey’s Ministry of Culture considers it controversial.”

After the film screening, the director commented on his protest action.

“Cinema enters a dark period. We must fight against it. The ministry, that has itself supported the film creation, shows how ‘democratic’ it is when fulfilling the demands of the authorities. By blackening the screen, I wanted to reveal that the film was subjected to censorship,” he detailed.

The film “Gold” tells about a man named Jean, who follows the traces of a song of his grandmother, a survivor of Dersim massacres.