Ferhat Zengin / Bahadır Kapır
Abstract: This research examines unofficial censorship interventions in cinema establishments during the Yeşilçam period. The study centers on experiences of film projectionists, who constitute the critical link in Turkish cinema’s exhibition chain. Projectionists, holding strategic positions within cinema culture and operational dynamics, witnessed social transformations in viewing practices through their technical expertise and authority to intervene in film content, while playing an active role in this process. In this qualitative research with phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 42 veteran projectionists using snowball sampling. Findings reveal that censorship practices were implemented on films that passed official boards without rights holders’ knowledge. Projectionists directly performed the majority of these interventions, while some were applied following cinema management instructions. Unofficial intervention practices were systematically operated through changing film titles and posters, duration cuts, scene removals, additional material insertions, and blackout techniques.
Keywords: Censorship, Yeşilçam, Film Projectionist, Cinema Operations, Turkish Cinema
Ferhat Zengin / Bahadır Kapır
DOI: 10.29224/insanveinsan.1658336
Year 12, Issue 40, Summer 2025
Tam metin / Full text
(Turkish)
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