DISCUSSION GUIDE
What’s A Human Anyway?
©2005 The CW Film Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Produced in collaboration with The Museum of Modern Art.
Table of Contents
1
INTRODUCTION
2
ABOUT THE FILM
Synopsis
Characters
3
VOCABULARY
4-5
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Director’s Statement
Biography of Reha Erdem
6
GUIDE FOR VIEWING THE FILM
Film Aesthetics and Techniques
7-8
PROFILE OF TURKEY: STATISTICS
9-11
PROFILE OF TURKEY: BACKGROUND
12-13
SCREENING PREPARATIONS & DISCUSSIONS
Important Themes Explored
in the Film What’s a Human Anyway?
14
ONLINE RESOURCES
15
2005 GLOBAL FILM INITIATIVE PARTNERS
For information on the other Global Lens films and
discussion guides, visit our website www.globalfilm.org
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY?: DISCUSSION GUIDE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Introduction
Each year The Global Film Initiative selects films from developing countries to be presented through the Global Lens
series, in collaboration with museums, film societies and other cultural institutions across America. The Global Film
Initiative is pleased to share What’s a Human Anyway? with audiences who may enjoy the tales of mystery and
misunderstanding that draw neighbors together in an apartment house in Istanbul.
Each film is accompanied by a discussion guide that provides a context for stories and cultural settings which may be
unfamiliar. This is the discussion guide for the film What’s a Human Anyway?, written and directed by Reha Erdem.
“About the Film” includes a synopsis of the film, a statement by Reha Erdem, and his biography. “Profile of Turkey”
sets a historical, geographic and cultural context for Turkey and Istanbul. “Guide for Viewing the Film” and “Story
Background” present examples of film techniques and discussion topics, to enable viewers to engage directly with the
story. Additional resources and suggestions for further information complete the guide.
We hope that you will feel free to adapt the materials as appropriate to your audience, and we hope you will let us
know the responses of viewers to the film. We also appreciate your feedback about the discussion guide, and how
you incorporate the guide in screening this film. To share your comments or to make suggestions, please write to
us at [email protected].
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY?: DISCUSSION GUIDE
INTRODUCTION
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2
About the Film
Original Title:
English Title:
Country:
Language:
Year:
Running Time:
Format:
Ìnsan Nedir ki. . .
What’s a Human Anyway?
Turkey
Turkish with subtitles in English
2004
128 minutes
35mm
SYNOPSIS
Ali is flat on his back by the side of the road, next to the taxi he drives for a living. A donkey brays as a dog looks on,
and Ali cries out – he doesn’t remember how he got there, or how he was hurt. The police think they know – a jewelry
store was robbed, and the driver of the get-away car is missing. Ali’s father and the neighbors try to help him
remember – Neriman, the tailor who lives downstairs with her son Keten; Ipek, the young pregnant woman whose
boyfriend wants his mother’s ring back; Selvi, the doorman’s wife, who spends her time on the balcony among the
seagulls swooping and sailing above the stunning harbor of Istanbul.
Meanwhile, Neriman might be allergic to her dog, and the butcher says the only answer is to send the dog away.
Selvi’s little boy, Cetin, has not been circumcised, and the parade is leaving soon. Aytekin has avoided military service
as long as he dares, but maybe his trembling hand will be enough to spare him. Umit, the pretty gymnast who shares
the apartment with Ipek, is preparing for admission to the Academy, which will allow her to stay in Istanbul. Keten
has a crush on Ipek, and wants to help her raise her baby, but first he will need the courage to stand up to his mother.
Against the backdrop of the beautiful city of Istanbul, with their lives intertwined by the mystery of Ipek’s ring, these
characters learn how much more it is to be human than bones and muscles and beating hearts.
CHARACTERS
Ali Aktar
Rasih Aktar
Neriman
Kemal
Ipek
Keten
Cetin
Selvi
Umit
Aytekin
Zambak
Cakir
The main character, a taxi driver
Ali’s father, a retired health officer
A tailor who lives downstairs from Ali and Rasih
The butcher
A young pregnant woman who lives in the building
Neriman’s son, who lives with her
Young boy, son of Riza and Selvi
Cetin’s mother, wife of the doorman of the building
A gymnast who lives with Ipek
Friend of Ali’s, an ex-boxer
Friend of Aytekin’s
Neriman’s dog
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ABOUT THE FILM
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Vocabulary
Celal Hodja
A Hodja is a local imam (an honorific title among Sunni Muslims), a respected person who leads
prayers. Aytekin gives a good luck charm blessed by Celal Hodja – a local imam named Celal — to Ali,
to wish him luck in recovering his memory.
Circumcision
Called Sünnet in Islam, circumcision is performed as a rite of passage to manhood recommended by
the Prophet Muhammed. While circumcision is sometimes performed in the hospital shortly after a boy
is born, the preference is to wait until he is about 7 years old, so he will remember the event. Sünnet
is treated as a great celebration, accompanied by music and a feast. The boy to be circumcised wears a
long white dress and a hat bearing the message “Masallah,” which means “God preserve him.” The
bed where he will recover is decorated with ribbons; he may also wear a red sash to mark his entry into
manhood. The boy is restrained during the procedure by a man designated as kirve, which corresponds
to the Christian godfather. The kirve will act on the boy’s behalf throughout his life.
Commando
Highly-trained special forces. Ali was a commando in the Turkish military, which has three brigades
of commandos, a total of about 5,000 troops, tactically comparable to the U.S. Army Rangers. The
Turkish commandos have been engaged in recent years in the ongoing conflict with Kurds in
southeastern Anatolia.
Kilo
Measure of weight in the metric system: 1 kilo equals about 2.2 pounds. Ali weighs 92 kilos – this is about
203 pounds. Ali’s father says he ruined 300 kilos of sea bass – this is about 661 pounds.
Kilometer
Measure of distance in the metric system: 1 kilometer is about 2/3 of 1 mile. The butcher abandons
Cakir, the dog, 350 kilometers from home – this is about 217 miles.
Meter
Measure of distance in the metric system: 1 meter is slightly longer than 1 yard. Ali shot “three out of
three from 250 meters” – this is about 273 yards.
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY?: DISCUSSION GUIDE
VOCABULARY
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About the Director
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY...
Collar bone, rib cage, spine, skull, nail, a mouth full of teeth.
Arthritis, back pain, bone loss.
Lots of flesh. Lots of bone.
Lots of vein.
Kilos of intestines.
Big breasts. Sagging lungs.
Ulcer, weariness, surgery, laughter, a slap, cursing, tumour, tit, love, glasses, dandruff.
Finds a job, borrows money, pees in his pants, lies, pops a zit, itches, heaves.
Has a photo taken, runs through the fields, pukes, kisses, laughs.
Eats grass, eats animals, itches, sleeps.
Gets sad, thinks, fears.
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY...
This is the question that the film explores.
Through the streets of Istanbul, echoing with seagull cries and boat whistles, through the people in their homes who,
scream, shoulder to shoulder, back to back, lip to lip, hand in hand, fist to fist, eye to eye, cheek to cheek:
Ali and his father Rasih…Neriman the tailor and her son Keten…Ipek with her unborn child in her belly…The
doorman Riza, his wife Selvi and their son Cetin…The neighborhood butcher, Kemal…Neriman’s dog, Cakir. Ipek’s
gymnast roommate Umit…Ex-boxer Aytekin and his friend Zambak…
The film begins with Ali’s accident. Ali has lost his memory. With Ali’s confusion, all the characters of the story find
themselves in a state of chaos: this chaos being the chaos of daily life, of life itself. The mystery of a precious ring
passing from one to another with each claiming to be the owner, the distant story of a robbery, and a mock police
investigation add even more flavour to the story.
But there is a parallel story within ‘What’s a human anyway…’ This is the story of the human body. This story, which
in real life exists in every human body regardless of revolutions, incidents, or intrigues, comes to the forefront in the
film. It outshines intrigue. It shadows the eyes and ears of the human bodies observing the incidents in the film.
With his or her illness, routine, posture, eating and drinking habit and body language, everyone in the film becomes a
lead character in this universal theme. In this film, the language of the body speaks just as loud as the events and
the characters. Bodies cracking. Breaking. Being snipped. Bleeding. Aching. Healing. Nails growing. Hair
thinning. Teeth rotting. The inner organs show their bloody faces through x-rays, ultrasound screens and blood
analysis reports. People cry. Yawn. Sneeze. Walk. Run. Kneel. Climb.
Realising the strange reality of living in a human body, Ali after the accident is like a newborn baby, not only trying to
remember past events but also exploring his own body.
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY?: DISCUSSION GUIDE
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
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About the Director
In the finale of the film, the pieces of the puzzle finally fit. All the events each character goes through tie into a
larger picture. Memory is restored. Ali remembers. With Ali, we also remember. What’s a human anyway…,
a memory woven by fears, weaknesses and desires and a fragile body made up of flesh, blood and bones.
Besides its narrative structure ‘What’s a human anyway’ is aiming to be a ‘montage’ film rather than a ‘decoupage’. It
desires to establish the ‘meaning’ with its rhythm. The story of the film and the figures in the story exist to be
elements serving the ‘meaning’ rather than forming the structure.
The effort of the project is to keep the distance from the realities of a daily life, this originates from the interest in the
human situations beyond daily - trivial dimensions. No time period is especially defined, the story takes place in its
own period. The sizes of shots, the settings, the locations, the choice of costumes, the casting and the style of acting
serves to break this genuine time.
BIOGRAPHY
Reha Erdem began his studies in history at Bogazici University in Istanbul. In 1983, he went to Paris 8
University to major in Cinema and Modern Art and completed a graduate degree. He directed his first feature
film, A Ay (Oh Moon) in 1989. It received awards at the Nantes Film Festival, and was screened at the Locarno,
Moscow, Vancouver and Dunkerque Film Festivals. His second feature, Kaç Para Kaç (A Run for Money, 1999)
represented Turkey at the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. It was featured at the Tokyo, Munich,
London, Oslo, Thessaloniki and Seattle Film Festivals. Erdem was invited to direct Hizmetciler (The Maids) by
Jean Genet for the Istanbul National Theater in 1991. He directed a short film called Deniz Turkusu (The Sea
Song), inspired by the poem of famous Turkish poet Yahya Kemal Beyatli. Since 1990, he has directed over a
hundred TV commercials. In 1993, he founded Atlantik Film production company with Ömer Atay.
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ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
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Guide for Looking at the Film
FILM AESTHETICS AND TECHNIQUES
Film is unique as an art form in its synthesis of visual arts, writing, drama, movement, and sound. The following notes about
film aesthetics and technique can be a guide for focusing students’ attention when viewing and discussing the film.
Editing (includes sequencing of shots and pacing)
The sequence of shots builds meaning in a scene. Erdem comments that “besides its narrative structure What’s a
Human, Anyway? is aiming to be a ‘montage’ film rather than a ‘decoupage’.” Montage is an editing technique that
places seemingly unrelated shots next to each other to create a new relationship or meaning that is not explicitly
recorded on the film. By contrast, decoupage is the familiar (Hollywood) style of showing a sequence of shots
closely tied to the narrative “what happened next.”
Umit reads the questions from the online “Humanity Survey.” The last question asks, “How would you like to die?” The
filmmaker presents a stream of answering voices – “Not in an accident” – “Away from doctors” – “Decently” – “Without knowing
it” – over shots of the butcher sharpening his knife, Ali yawning on his balcony, Keten sewing, Selvi dancing on the balcony,
Neriman measuring a dress pattern, Rasih taking his blood pressure, people walking, a man rubbing his foot, and many others.
The filmmaker uses the kaleidoscope of images in contrast with the sound of many answering voices to give new meaning to the
question, and suggest a new “answer”.
Composition of the Image
Color and line; size and distance (long shot, medium shot, close-up). The director uses the technique of ‘mise en
scène’ – in French, placing on the stage – to frame an image using the elements of setting, costume, colors, lighting
and sound. The position and behavior of the actors are crucial to the composition, as is the choice of cameras and
lenses, where they are placed and how they move during the shot.
The bustling port city of Istanbul provides the setting for the film. The filmmaker frames his characters on their balconies, against wide
shots of the harbor, with seagulls soaring overhead that only Selvi, “the flying woman, the fairy of the windows,” seems to notice.
Narrative Structure
Beginnings and endings of films contain important clues to the arc of the story; thus asking the following questions
may provide great insights: Why does the film begin as it does? Why does the film conclude with this scene? What
is the significance of the final image?
Possession of a ring connects the stories of Ali, Ipek and Keten with the robbery at the jewelry store. From a phone message to Ipek
demanding that she return the ring to her boyfriend, to Ipek’s visit to the jewelry store to sell it, to Keten’s crush on Ipek that leads him to buy
the ring back from the jeweler – and then give it to his mother with a cover story that the ring belonged to Ali’s mother – to Ali’s assuming
that he simply doesn’t remember his mother’s ring – the ring is the narrative element that draws the characters’ stories together.
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY?: DISCUSSION GUIDE
GUIDE FOR LOOKING AT THE FILM
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Profile of Turkey: Statistics
SIZE: 300,948 square miles,
slightly larger than Texas
POPULATION: 69.6 million
(CIA, 2005)
ETHNICITY: Turkish 80%,
Kurdish 20% (CIA estimate)
RELIGION: Muslim 99.8%,
mostly Sunni; others (mostly
Christian and Jewish) 0.2%
LANGUAGES: Turkish; some
Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek
Courtesy of The General Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 9.3%, with 4% underemployed (CIA, 2004 estimate)
GEOGRAPHY: Turkey is a country on two continents, separated by the Bosporus Strait, which divides the city of
Istanbul. The larger part of the country is Anatolia (or Asia Minor), which lies on the continent of Asia, bordering
Syria, Iraq, Iran, Armenia and Georgia. The European part of Turkey is Turkish Thrace, representing only 3% of the
landmass of the country, on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula. Turkey is surrounded on three sides by water,
with the Black Sea to the north, connected via the Bosporus Strait, the Sea of Marmara, the Dardanelles Strait and
the Aegean Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to the south. There are seven regions, each with a distinct geography:
TURKISH THRACE:
Marmara – includes Thrace and the coastal area of Anatolia from Istanbul south along the Sea of Marmara to the Dardanelles Strait. Fruit orchards and vegetables, sunflower and grain are grown in this fertile region. The North Anatolian
Fault traverses this region south of Istanbul; Izmit, on the Anatolian coast of the Marmara, was the site of the 1999 earthquake that measured 7.4 on the Richter scale.
ANATOLIA:
Aegean – the region south of Marmara in Anatolia and facing the Aegean Sea to the west. This is rich farmland, with
tobacco, sunflowers, olives and fruit orchards as major crops.
Mediterranean – the Mediterranean coastline stretches for 980 miles but there are few beaches in this rocky terrain. The
Toros Mountains dominate this southern region, with peaks as high as 12,850 feet.
Central Anatolia – this region is high plateau, surrounded by mountain ranges. With cold winters, a rainy season in the
spring and hot, dry summers, this is farming and sheep-grazing country, producing grains such as wheat and barley.
Southeast – this region borders Syria, and although both the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers extend from this region south,
into Mesopotamia, the hot, dry climate of Southeastern Anatolia makes for a short growing season, with grains being the
most important crops.
Eastern Anatolia – the Pontic Mountains dominate this region. Mount Ararat, where the Biblical Noah is thought to have
landed his ship, is this region’s highest peak, at nearly 16,950 feet. There are numerous extinct volcanoes in this region,
as well as active seismic zones.
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY?: DISCUSSION GUIDE
PROFILE OF TURKEY: STATISTICS
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Profile of Turkey: Statistics
Black Sea Coast – this region stretches more than 1,000 miles along the coast of the Black Sea, bordered by the Pontic
Mountains to the south. The rich farmland produces tobacco, fruit and nuts, as well as excellent grazing for dairy cattle.
Away from the shallow water along the shore, the Black Sea appears dark and even “gloomy” – because of the high concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the deeper water.
CLIMATE: Much of Turkey experiences climatic extremes – from winter temperatures well below freezing (even reaching – 45°
in the mountains) to summer high temperatures above 100°. However, the rainfall, arable land and adequate growing season make Turkey one of the few countries in the world that can provide for the basic foods needed by her people. More than a
third of the population is engaged in farming, livestock management or fishing in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
NATURAL RESOURCES: Oil, coal, iron ore, copper and other minerals
INDUSTRIES: Textiles and clothing, food processing, automobiles, mining, steel, petroleum, construction, lumber and paper.
CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: Water and air pollution, especially in urban areas; deforestation, and the potential for
oil spills with increasing ship traffic through the Bosporus Strait.
Courtesy of The General Libraries,
The University of Texas at Austin.
HOW FAR IS IT FROM
ISTANBUL TO:
Ankara, Turkey
Athens
Jerusalem
Rome
Baghdad
Moscow
Mecca
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY?: DISCUSSION GUIDE
218 miles
350
726
848
1,000
1,091
1,488
London
Madrid
Kashgar, Xinjiang*
New York
1,553
1,699
2,449
5,008
*(city in the central Asian region from which Turkic
tribes migrated toward Europe and the Middle East)
PROFILE OF TURKEY: STATISTICS
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Profile of Turkey: Background
BACKGROUND: TURKEY, CROSSROADS OF CIVILIZATIONS
The fertile farmland of the high plateau has made Anatolia attractive for human settlements for thousands of years.
The history of Turkey is of new civilizations arriving from Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and central Asia, building and
rebuilding palaces and temples and expanding their empires in this bountiful land between the seas.
1900 – 1200 BC: The Hittites
They crossed the mountains from Asia into central Anatolia, warriors in chariots speaking an Indo-European language;
they easily overwhelmed the people of the plateau. The Hittites ruled for more than 700 years, and then disappeared.
1250 BC: The Fall of Troy
The legendary city of Troy was discovered in the late 19th century, through a series of excavations a few miles inland
from the Dardanelles Strait. Layers of rebuilt settlements were found, dating as far back as 3000 BC. By the mid13th century BC, Troy was a fortress city of palaces and temples. It was this fortress city that admitted a great
wooden horse inside its gates in about 1250 BC. Greek soldiers hiding inside the Trojan horse took the city by storm,
burning it to the ground, as described by the poet Homer in his famous poem The Iliad.
7th Century BC: Founding of Byzantium by the Greeks
The Greeks founded a colony on the European side of the Bosporus Strait, on the peninsula known today as Seraglio
Point. One legend suggests that Byzas consulted the Oracle at Delphi before leading the Greeks to settle where the
Bosporus and the Golden Horn meet and flow into the Sea of Marmara. Byzas called the city he founded Byzantium.
2nd Century BC: Advance of the Roman Empire
For hundreds of years, the Greeks fought historic battles to defend the empire they ruled from Byzantium. The
Persians expanded into Anatolia in the 5th century BC, but were driven out two hundred years later by Alexander the
Great. In 130 BC, the Romans defeated the Greek armies, and incorporated Anatolia into the Roman Empire as the
province of Asia, with its capital at Ephesus.
Biblical History in Anatolia
The highest point in Turkey is Mt. Ararat, an extinct volcano in northeastern Anatolia where Noah is thought to have
landed his ark. Abraham lived in Harran, and St. Paul was born in Tarsus, near the coast in southwestern Anatolia.
Early Christians hid in villages carved into the mountains in Cappodocia, to escape persecution, and St. Paul
established Christian communities in Ephesus and Antioch, where the earliest Christian church, St. Peter’s, was
founded between 47 – 56 AD. According to legend, St. Paul traveled with Mary, the mother of Jesus, to Ephesus,
where a house identified as hers is an important pilgrimage site.
Constantinople and the rise of the Byzantine Empire
Constantine was born in the third century AD in Serbia, and became sole ruler of the western half of the Roman
Empire after a major victory in battle. Constantine proclaimed that victory came through the power of the “God of the
Christians,” whose sign he had placed on the shields of his soldiers. Under his leadership, persecution of the
Christians ended, but Constantine also used the Church as an arm of enforcement. He renamed Byzantium in 330
AD, as Constantinople, the capital of the eastern Roman Empire. Under the emperor Justinian in the 6th century, the
city reached a new level of splendor, including the architectural masterpiece called Hagia Sophia (the Christian
Church of Holy Wisdom).
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY?: DISCUSSION GUIDE
PROFILE OF TURKEY: BACKGROUND
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Profile of Turkey: Background
9th – 13th Centuries: Arrival of the Turks
Relentless attacks, especially by Muslim armies from the south, eroded the authority of the empire over the centuries.
In what seems a contradiction, populations across Europe, the Middle East and the Mediterranean continued to
absorb the Orthodox Christian faith and philosophy of the Byzantine Church, even as the great cities of the Byzantine
Empire were looted and destroyed.
In the mid-11th century, the arrival of the Turks in Anatolia caused general alarm among leaders of the western
church, who launched a series of Crusades against the holy cities of Nicea, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Constantinople,
the first beginning in 1099 and the last ending with the utter destruction of Constantinople in 1204.
“Turk” refers to the cultural and linguistic family of peoples who settled the central Asian steppe in what is now Xinjiang,
China, as long ago as 2000 BC. After centuries of constant territorial strife with the Chinese dynasties, some groups slowly
migrated westward, toward what is now Eastern Europe. One clan, named Seljuq for its founder, swept into Persia in the 11th
century and conquered Baghdad. The Seljuq moved into Anatolia in 1071 AD, confronting the armies of the Byzantine
Empire. This was the first of many victories by the Seljuq Turks, leading to their dominance of Anatolia.
1453: Capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were one of the Turkic tribes driven out of central Asia by Mongol invaders who dominated the Middle East
in the 13th century. The Ottomans were a pastoral, nomadic tribe that found their way into northwest Anatolia by following the
conquests of the Seljuq Turks.
Over the next century a warrior class grew among the Ottomans. These were warriors on horseback, with a new weapon – a
“cupid-shaped” bow, shorter than the styles used by Byzantine armies and with much greater range. Ottoman warriors could
fell their opponents at a distance of 450 yards, an armed cavalry storming toward an army on foot. The Ottoman forces grew as
other Turkic tribes joined them in conquering territory in Anatolia, and by the mid-15th century they confronted Constantinople
itself. In less than two months, the Ottomans conquered the city, bringing the Byzantine Empire to an end.
The Ottoman sultans rebuilt the great city of Constantinople, which translates in Turkish as Istanbul. They established the
Ottoman Empire, which dominated southeastern Europe, the Middle East and the Mediterranean until the 20th century.
The Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Turks were Muslim, a faith they adopted from the Arabs they encountered on their migration from central
Asia. The formerly Orthodox Christian city of Istanbul became the center of Sunni Islam, replacing Baghdad as the
spiritual and political center of the Muslim world. The great 6th century Church of Holy Wisdom, the Hagia Sophia,
was converted to a mosque.
One of the greatest leaders of the Ottoman Empire was Suleyman the Magnificent, known for his military prowess in
expanding the empire into Europe and North Africa. Suleyman was known to his subjects as kanuni, the lawgiver, for
his wisdom in administering justice.
The Ottoman Empire was slow to respond to the rise of European trading states – and to developments in technology
that affected trade and warfare. The Europeans developed sophisticated commercial treaties, and their armies began
to carry guns. The Ottoman sultans found themselves overmatched on the seas and defeated in battle, losing territory
and wealth as the European countries grew strong.
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY?: DISCUSSION GUIDE
PROFILE OF TURKEY: BACKGROUND
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Profile of Turkey: Background
1923: The Turkish Republic
After the first World War, Istanbul was occupied by Allied forces. A young soldier named Mustafa Kemal, who had fought with
distinction against the Allies during the war, now organized a resistance movement to prevent Turkey from being divided among
the Allied powers. Kemal made the capital of his resistance in the city of Ankara, in central Anatolia. He appealed to the Turkish people to oppose their government in Istanbul by fighting a “War of Independence.” Within two years he led them to victory, driving out the Greeks, British, French and Italians – and bringing to an end the rule of the Ottoman Empire. The Treaty of
Lausanne in 1923 ratified a new Turkish state, with Ankara as its capital. Its borders have changed little since.
Mustafa Kemal became known as Atatürk, “Father of the Turks,” and he is honored as a great hero of the modern state. Under
his leadership, a “Turkish identity” arose from long-standing ethnic conflicts between Muslims and Christians. Although most of
the population of Turkey is Muslim, there is no longer an official state religion in the constitution. The country took the name
“Türkiye” to honor its thousand-year heritage of settlers from the central Asian steppe.
Governments of Turkey have focused on modernization in the 80 years since the Republic was formed. Turkey is a member of
the United Nations and NATO, and held its first democratic elections in 1950. In recent years the government has worked to
improve its human rights record with respect to the minority Kurds, who live in southeastern Anatolia, and Turkey is in talks
with the European Union as prologue to joining the EU. The parliament continues to work toward equality for women and a
more humane penal system.
Istanbul in 2005: Where Europe and Asia Meet
Istanbul today is a city of more than 10 million people, living on two continents, linked by bridges crossing the Bosporus Strait.
Byzantium – Constantinople – Istanbul, this city of three names and many empires was officially designated as Istanbul in
1928. Istanbul is a city of small and medium-size businesses, specializing in textiles and rugs, gold and jewelry, and among
its most famous destinations are the bazaars, palaces and mosques.
The Grand Bazaar extends for 65 streets and provides covered walkways for about 3,000 shops, selling Turkey’s famous rugs
and carpets; gold and jewelry and textiles. The Spice Bazaar sells the exotic spices, caviar and tea that for centuries have been
brought by traders over the Silk Road.
The Topkapi Palace is among the most elegant of Istanbul’s palaces. It was built in the 15th century, and was home to sultans of the Ottoman Empire for four hundred years. The palace is now a museum and historic site, filled with the treasures
of the Ottomans.
Istanbul has been called a city of mosques – there are more than 450, including the Blue Mosque, known for the color of the light
reflected by the ceramic tiles that decorate its walls and windows. Five times a day the call to prayer echoes in the streets of the
Old City, on the European side of Istanbul, as the voices from the towers call the faithful to prayer.
Istanbul is also home to refugees from rural areas in Anatolia, which has frequent earthquakes. Makeshift housing is evident
on both the European and Asian sides of the city, as people bring their hopes, along with their families, to a new life in the city.
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PROFILE OF TURKEY: BACKGROUND
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Screening Preparation
& Discussions
Reha Erdem filmed What’s a Human Anyway? in his native city of Istanbul. Besides the characters in the apartment
building, Erdem incorporates glimpses of daily life in the city — of people working, dancing, taking the ferry – to
present the rich human tapestry which is the subject of the film.
The structure and pace of this film may be unfamiliar to American audiences. Story elements may be presented in
fragments and the filmmaker’s intentions may not be obvious — just as events occur in life, but not always as we are
accustomed to seeing them in film. Viewers are encouraged to notice the film techniques used to “put us in the
scene” – particularly the music and the sights and sounds of the city that make Istanbul seem a familiar place.
IMPORTANT THEMES EXPLORED IN THE FILM WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY?
Scenes from What’s a Human Anyway? have been organized around the themes of “Those with an Uncomfortable Head,”
“The Birds Can’t Fly Because of the Wind,” and “You Put All Your Fears in Your Pocket,” and “What’s a Human, Anyway?”
These themes provide a lens for focusing attention while viewing the film.
Watch for scenes or events that correspond to a particular theme, making mental or written notes as to how the theme
is explored in the film. Note whether the film developed the theme as might be expected, and if not, then what did
happen? For each theme, scene references are provided along with questions to encourage discussion.
“THOSE WITH AN UNCOMFORTABLE HEAD”
1.
Ali’s father, Rasih, who is obsessed with his pills, his blood pressure, and whether he’s having a heart attack,
says that those with “an uncomfortable head can never find the right path in life. That’s why you have to make
an effort to walk straight,” he says.
What do you think he means by “an uncomfortable head”? Give examples from the film of characters with
“uncomfortable heads.”
2.
Ali seems comfortable with the neighbors, even before he remembers them. Only with his father does Ali seem
cautious, even fearful – very much as Keten is fearful of his mother.
How would you explain Ali’s “uncomfortable head”? What is the point of view of the film toward young men, as
portrayed by Ali and Keten?
3.
Neriman says that she makes clothes that make people happy with the way they look. Yet she torments her son
and allows the butcher to take her beloved dog away.
How would you interpret the character of Neriman in this story? What do you think it would take for Neriman to have a
“comfortable head”?
4.
Kemal, the butcher, tells Ali how to stand to impress Umit. “Look, you’ve gotta hide your weaknesses,” he says
– “Why do you think this counter is this high?”
What is the butcher’s role in this film? Kemal tells Ali, “what’s important is what’s inside.” What do you think is
“inside” the butcher?
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY?: DISCUSSION GUIDE
SCREENING PREPARATION & DISCUSSIONS
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Screening Preparation
& Discussions
“THE BIRDS CAN’T FLY BECAUSE OF THE WIND”
5.
Aytekin, the former boxer, is supposed to enlist in the military, and Cetin is supposed to be circumcised with the
other boys. Both look to Ali for protection, but Aytekin enlists, and Cetin is circumcised.
What do you think Aytekin and Cetin wanted from Ali?
6.
Ali says “the birds can’t fly because of the wind” when he’s watching the seagulls from the balcony, as they soar
on the breeze looking for food.
Why do you think Ali interprets the seagulls this way? How does this comment relate to Keten? To Ali’s father, Rasih?
“YOU PUT ALL YOUR FEARS IN YOUR POCKET”
7.
Umit, the gymnast, tells Cetin that if he takes his fears out of one pocket and puts them into the other, all the
while taking deep breaths, pretty soon there will be nothing there. “The ones you’re most afraid of are always at
the very bottom,” she says. “Don’t ever forget them there.”
How do you interpret these comments? How do they apply to Umit? To Ali?
8.
Rasih screams to Ali several times in the film, “bring me my pills!” Finally, Ali stops short and refuses to give
the pills to his father.
What do you think Rasih is afraid of? How does Ali help his father come to terms with his fear?
9.
With Neriman screaming at him, Keten climbs to the top of a dangerous promontory, where he stands in high
winds. Ali follows, climbing to the top to be with his friend. They lock arms, and look toward the sea, as Keten
calls to his mother that he is afraid.
How do you interpret this scene? How do you think Keten and Ali have been changed in the story?
“WHAT’S A HUMAN, ANYWAY?”
10. In Umit’s “Humanity Survey,” the questions are, “What do you need to be happy?” – “What hope have you lost
in life?” – Do you know how to prepare your favorite food?” – and “How would you like to die?”
Why do you think the filmmaker chose these questions to describe “humanity”?
11. The film closes with glimpses of crutches left by the door, bottles of pills on a table, and Cetin’s underwear
drying on the clothesline.
Why do you think the film closes with these scenes? How do you think the film answers its own question, “What’s a
Human, Anyway?”
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY?: DISCUSSION GUIDE
SCREENING PREPARATION & DISCUSSIONS
13
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Online Resources
BBC News: Country Profiles, Turkey
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/1022222.stm
The World Factbook:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tu.html
Turkey: History
http://www.hitit.co.uk/HistoryTk.html
http://www.theottomans.org/english/history/index.asp
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/1167
http://countrystudies.us/turkey/3.htm
http://workmall.com/wfb2001/turkey/turkey_history_index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/25/magazine/25turkey.html
Surface Distance Between Two Points:
http://www.wcrl.ars.usda.gov/cec/java/lat-long.htm
Turkey: Istanbul
http://english.istanbul.com/explorenew.asp?cat=1
Turkey: Geography
http://www.ocean.udel.edu/blacksea/geography
http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/research/geology/turkey/
http://www.ancientroute.com/water/Black_Sea.htm
http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/research/geology/turkey/
http://www.columbia.edu/~sss31/Turkiye/geo.html
http://www.mtnforum.org/apmn/6,1,c.htm
Turkish Culture
http://www.turkishodyssey.com/turkey/culture/people.htm
WHAT’S A HUMAN ANYWAY?: DISCUSSION GUIDE
ONLINE RESOURCES
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2005 Global Film Initiative Partners
BOSTON
MINNEAPOLIS
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
WALKER ART CENTER
CHICAGO
NEW YORK
THE GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER
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WEXNER CENTER FOR THE ARTS
SALT LAKE CITY FILM CENTER
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DENVER FILM SOCIETY
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HONOLULU
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HONOLULU ACADEMY OF ARTS
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MADISON
SEATTLE
UW-MADISON ARTS INSTITUTE
CINEMA SEATTLE
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MIAMI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
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For information on Global Lens films and Discussion Guides, visit our website http://www.globalfilm.org/library.htm
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