Cinema in the Shadow of the War: Film Exhibitions in Adana during the Second World War

Aydın Çam

Abstract: This study aims to identify the films screened in Adana during the Second World War, classify them based on their production and distribution origins, and interpret exhibition practices shaped by wartime conditions. The severe and unstable circumstances of the war disrupted film supply in Turkey and continually affected import dynamics. In this context, examining the films shown in Adana offers insights into Turkish cinema history and the city’s socio-cultural fabric. The research is based on an archival review of three local newspapers –Bugün, Türksözü, and Yeni Adana–published during the war years. The data collected were thematically organized, and analytically evaluated. The findings indicate that the films exhibited fall into five categories: (1) Theatrical films, primarily American productions; (2) German (UFA) films; (3) Oriental films; (4) Turkish productions; and (5) Newsreels, propaganda, and war films. The study provides a localized perspective on wartime exhibition practices and sheds light on the formative conditions of Yeşilçam cinema.

Keywords: The Second World War, Turkish cinema history, Adana cinema history, History of film distribution, Oriental films

Aydın Çam
DOI: 10.29224/insanveinsan.1658424
Year 12, Issue 40, Summer 2025


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