On the verge of the release of a new documentary in which she stars as a headscarf-wearing character, actress Pelin Batu states, “Headscarves are everywhere, however we hardly see them in films or television shows. They need to be present more. The mentality of putting people in boxes is beginning to be broken down and normalization has slowly begun.”
Batu stars as a headscarf wearing woman in the “Zor Yılların Kayıp Çocukları” (The Lost Children of Difficult Years) documentary which details what transpired during the 1980 coup-era. Filming for the documentary, which is a Bahçeşehir University production, has come to a close and the film starring Pelin Batu and Tolga Güleç will be premiering at a gala on September 20th. The film, directed by Dr. Erkan Büker, a professor at Bahçeşehir University’s Department of Film and Television and written by Dr. İnci Taşdelen, also a professor at Bahçeşehir University, tells the story of Onur, who lost his leftist mother in prison and Züleyha who was brought up by rightists in a depiction of the traumas suffered by the children of victims in the coup. […]
THE PRESENCE OF THE HEADSCARF IS A SIGN OF NORMALIZATION
Pelin Batu explains that she feels it is very important that a number of headscarf-wearing characters have begun to surface in recent projects and that it is a sign of normalization. “There are a lot of women who wear headscarves on the street and at universities. I sometimes join the group Kardeş Türküler on stage and their bassist wears a headscarf. Even though all sorts of political messages and slogans are expressed during those concerts, it is that headscarved girl that draws the most attention! This is strange to me. Headscarves are seen everywhere, however they are barely visible in films and television shows. They need to be more present. The mentality of putting people in boxes is beginning to be broken down and normalization has slowly begun,” says Batu.”
