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The Autopsy of the Film ‘Roma’: Why did Alfonso Cuaron discredit his own masterpiece? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

The film did not attract public interest when it was shown both in Mexico and in USA. The box office was a complete failure. Moreover, Spanish media reported that the film triggered racist attacks in Mexico. So was the reason for the lack of public interest to the film a deep reaction to bring the indigenious X white distinction and discrimination back to the top of the agenda?

In the modern-post-modern world, the relation between art and politics is as corrupted as the relation between art and the market. This relationship takes its roots from Trotsky’s art doctrine: Trotsky rejects all kinds of formalism in art, thus he rejects art education, institutionalization in art, and the patronage/support of the state apparatus on/for art. Continue reading “The Autopsy of the Film ‘Roma’: Why did Alfonso Cuaron discredit his own masterpiece? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay”

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The “comrade” sent to Eisenstein from USA – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

2nd Appendix to our article “Understanding the prodigy of Sergei Eisenstein”


“or Middle Ages monk ?…”

Marie Seton relates the depression of Eisenstein to not being able to complete Sinclair’s project in Mexico. Marie Seton’s evaluation, however, expresses only some part of the truth – the part that is compatible with the Eisenstein myth she created, making it convenient to be told to the masses. The reason why Upton Sinclair stopped the project and fired Eisenstein was the exposure of Eisenstein’s relationship with his guide. This disclosure was the last drop. Upton’s wife, Marie Craig Sinclair got off at half-cock seeing Eisenstein’s bohemian life without being able to produce any piece of viewable film having spent months for burning thousands of meters of negatives. Continue reading “The “comrade” sent to Eisenstein from USA – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay”

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“Bejin Çayırı”, Shumyatsky ve Babel’i idama götüren bir test miydi? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

Bu makale daha önce yayımladığımız “Sergei Eisenstein’ı anlamak” başlıklı ana makaleye birinci ektir. Bu ana makalenin Türkçe’sini teknik bir arıza nedeniyle sunamıyoruz, İngilizce’siyle idare edin.

Sergei Eisenstein + Grigory Alexandrov ikilisinin Potemkin Zırhlısı filmi 1925’te ilk kez gösterime girdiğinde sadece Moskova’da tek bir sinemada ve sadece bir hafta oynatılır. Halktan ilgi görmez. Bolşevik hükümet de kendi siparişleri olmasına rağmen filmi desteklemez. Film depoyu boylar. Ardından Mayakovsky’nin araya girmesiyle negatifler depodan alınır ve Berlin’e gönderilir. Ünlü Alman yönetmen Piel Jutzi tarafından 45 km’yi bulan negatifler baştan aşağı yeniden trim edilir ve 1.7 km uzunluğunda izlenebilir bir film oluşturulur. Uluslararası bir PR çalışmasıyla Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Mary Pickford gibi zamanın Hollywood ünlülerinin, elçilerin, konsolosların katılımıyla film 17 Aralık 1926’da Berlin’de gösterilir. Berlin’deki galayı izleyen günlerde Amerikan ve İngiliz basınının da eşgüdümlü parlatmasıyla film bir sanat başyapıtı olarak, Sergei Eisenstein da bir deha olarak dünyaya tanıtılır. Continue reading ““Bejin Çayırı”, Shumyatsky ve Babel’i idama götüren bir test miydi? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay”

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Was “Bezhin Meadow” a test bringing Shumyatsky and Babel to execution? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

1st Appendix to our article “Understanding the prodigy of Sergei Eisenstein”

In 1925 The film Potemkin Battleship of Sergei Eisenstein + Grigory Alexandrov was only shown in Moscow in just one cinema and only for a week. People were not interested. The Bolshevik government did not support the film even though it was its own orders. The film was removed to storage. Then, with the intervention of Mayakovsky, the negatives were taken from the depot and sent to Berlin. The famous German director Piel Jutzi was commissioned to re-trim the 45 km long negatives to reform a viewable 1.7 km movie. With an international PR work, the film was shown in Berlin on December 17, 1926 with the participation of Hollywood celebrities like Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Mary Pickford and embassies, consuls from various countries. In the days following this glaze in Berlin, the film was introduced as a masterpiece of art and Sergei Eisenstein as a genius all over the world, with the coordinated publications of the American and British press. Continue reading “Was “Bezhin Meadow” a test bringing Shumyatsky and Babel to execution? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay”

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The new ideological warfare between etatism and globalism

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

At Left: The “English” Ivan the Terrible, the CEO of Muscovy Company, a “globalist”
At Right: Peter the Third, who was betrayed and dethroned by his wife, an “etatist”

What is the real stake behind the over-romanticising of October Revolution by The New York Times? It is also noticeable that Putin’s regime overlooks Lenin and the October Revolution. Is a new propanganda warfare on re-writing history between American establishment and Russian regime coming out? Could we link this warfare to Trump’s election and his neo-keynesian economy-politics aiming to overcome the current (2008) “great depression”? And the rise of Russia as the new global power undertaking huge infrastructures namely the New Silk Road, Yamal Project, Shanghai Five, rebuilding the Eurasia-centered World system as the new global converging market? Continue reading “The new ideological warfare between etatism and globalism”

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The Villages Institutes in Turkey – Deniz Gül

TERMPAPER SUBMITTED TO THE COURSE “TURKISH POLITICAL STRUCTURE”, DR IBRAHIM SAYLAN, FACULTY OF BUSINESS, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, DOKUZ EYLÜL UNIVERSITY, IZMIR.

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Abstract:

This paper will discuss and evaluate the Village Institutes experience in Turkey. This Paper begins by analyzing the historical context of the period and moves on the evaluation of the general characteristics of Village Institutes. In the part of the general characteristic, I have tried to observe both sides’ views (peasants and governors) equally. This part also include the specific features of İsmail Hakkı Tonguç, and generally try to explain why and how does village institutes maintain itself enough to go on with. Finally, I will try to explain the story of closure process and evaluate the outcome and process assessment. Continue reading “The Villages Institutes in Turkey – Deniz Gül”