Elif’s pop-culture roundup. Thoughts on Labor Day and more

I have been late to publish it. My mistake. Elif is back with her second post. She is getting into it.

Did we experience or represent freedom on the Labor Day?

Last week, the world has celebrated the Labor Day. People danced, shouted and walked on the streets and especially in Turkey, everything seemed to be like in Rio Carnival with explicitly entertaining scenes in stark contrast to suffering Greece which witnessed a violent Labor Day.

However, even if everything seems to be not just alright but excellent; I think, there was a misunderstanding there. Freedom can not be identified and given by third people to experience in a way and place already determined.

Bloody 1 May?s setting is no longer the symbol of freedom

In contrast to 1 May 2009, this year everything seems to be so peaceful because government has given permission to celebrate that day on Taksim Square which is important because in 1 May 1977 Labor Day celebrations, ?bloody 1 May?,  36 people died and more than hundred people were wounded in the same Taksim square. In other words, Taksim Square is ?or let?s say was- an important symbol of freedom on the first day of May until the government gave its permission to celebrate that day on that square. This shows the power of government to determine where people can express themselves and that square is no more a field of freedom.

Freedom is something limitless, unshaped and unpredictable, so no one can give permission to experience freedom but they can give permission to represent it.

So, the first day of May was not a freedom day but ?a peaceful representation of freedom day? this year.

Labor Day Movies Festival can be a good alternative

However, if we don?t mix up representing and experiencing; representing can be satisfying as the ?International Labor Day Movies Festival? represent.

The festival which happens to be the 12^th time, is getting the movies about labor and proletarian like Steinbeck?s The Grapes of Wrath and like Ahmet Uluçay?s ?Karpuz Kabuğundan Gemiler Yapmak?

Festival is collecting special movies related to Labor Day 12th time to remind where we stand in the system and where we want to.

The festival lasts from 1 May to 10 May in Ankara, İstanbul and İzmir simultaneously

You can find the list of the movies shown in festival to click here to see the full list of movies.

Also?

1. A famous Turkish director who is known with his most famous movie Karşı Pencere (La Finestra di Fronte) has given a ?Jury Special? award with his newest movie Mine vaganti (Serseri Mayınlar) and the Turkish actress Sibel Kekili who has known with the movie Duvara Karşı (Gegen die Wand) has won ?The Best Actress? award with the movie named as “When We Leave-Die Fremde” which is out of mass production movies.
2. The book named as “Belki şehre bir film gelir” (Maybe a movie will come to city) which is sharing the last 10 years of Turkish film history is in sales now, it can be nice a reference in understanding the recent time of Turkish Cinema.

1. Finally, a popular Turkish singer called Hande Yener gives support anti-nuclear campaign through having a part in a video clip tries to explain the harm of the technology on people?s health.