The spirit of self-defence in cultural resistance

 

Dilan Babat

 

NEWS CENTRE - Sidar Aslan from the Middle East Cinema Academy stated that a cultural self-defence was formed through films, theatre and stories against the attacks on Kurdish culture, and that culture is a form of self-defence as well as a way of life.

 

Attacks on Kurdish culture continue to increase. While elements of Kurdish culture such as halays and songs are used as grounds for detention and arrest, people are trying to protect their culture in all areas of life against these attacks. Self-defence against the attacks is carried out in every field through film, cinema and theatre.

 

As we head towards 25 November, the Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, women emphasise that self-defence is one of the main points against all kinds of violence. Sidar Aslan from the Middle East Cinema Academy evaluated how self-defence works in the field of culture and art.

 

Culture and self-defence

 

Stating that culture is the past and future of language, life and humanity, Sidar Aslan noted that culture contains many elements within itself. Sidar Aslan said, "Our mothers have been defending their language by speaking Kurdish with their children for centuries. This can also be seen as the defence of culture and art. When there is an attack on our language, we rebuild our culture around language. When there are attacks on culture, it is necessary to see where women feel this attack the most. As a woman, how do we defend and fight for our culture? Recently, our halay, songs and local clothes have been attacked. Against this, we have taken a defence position by saying ‘This is my culture’. We defend our halays, our culture, our language. Our defence of our culture involves self-defence. We defended ourselves by bringing our clothes and culture to the surface more. In a sense, this means rebuilding our culture. Art is also included in this construction process. This is also an area where women produce an alternative politics by rejecting the role assigned to them in society or the state. The state has policies such as ‘women should stay at home and bear children’. However, while building our culture, we are creating an alternative way of life outside the role assigned to women by the state."

 

‘We include different cultures’

 

Stating that democratic modernity against capitalist modernity includes not only Kurds but also many different identities, Sidar Aslan said, "We are questioning what kind of life there should be with all these different cultures and identities. In theatre times, we do not only perform plays about Kurdish culture; we also perform plays from many different cultures and languages. As a filmmaker, when we make a film, we don't just want it to be in Kurdish; we include many different cultural elements in our films. When we make a film, we also include the roles and missions of women in a new life, apart from the role the state assigns to women. There are examples like Kamber Ateş; with these stories and films we develop a self-defence in the field of culture and art. When Kurdish plays are banned or halls are not provided, we create an alternative to this."

 

‘Culture is a life, a self-defence’

 

Pointing out that people wearing their local clothes on many important days, despite all prohibitions, is also a form of self-defence, Sidar Aslan said, "In recent years, we also see the language of the media in attacks and murders against women. A platform was created on digital media for murdered women. Lawyers, women activists and many artists participated in this programme. Various problems were discussed, but the source of these problems was not sufficiently addressed. Nevertheless, women started to voice the source of their problems. In the field of art, a self-defence is now being woven by drawing attention to these sources through films and theatre. As populist culture is on the rise, young people are trying to be alienated from their own culture. Against this, especially women artists are setting an example of self-defence by wearing clothes that reflect their own culture against the imposed clothes. Cultural self-defence is very important. Everyone who says ‘I am Kurdish’ needs to build their culture and live in this way. Culture is the future and life of the individual as well as self-defence."