CHARACTER AND COMMUNICATIVE MEMORY IN THE FILM NEW DAWN FADES PSYCHOGEOGRAPHIC TRACES

Abstract

The relationship between character and cinematic space is analyzed in Gürcan Keltek’s New Dawn Fades (Yeni Şafak Solarken, 2024) through the lens of psychogeography. The protagonist, Akın, demonstrates a deep and enduring connection to the city of Istanbul, where he lives. Istanbul’s textures, rhythms, and roots are presented as an active agent that aligns with the character’s emotional and cognitive being. Istanbul calls, reflects, absorbs, and reshapes the protagonist’s psychological state, creating a symbiotic relationship between the character and his habitat, positioning psychogeography as a critical element in the film. The study draws on foundational theories of cinema and urban space, with particular emphasis on Guy Debord’s concept of psychogeography. Mentioning methods as a dérive to interpret the characters’ movement through Istanbul is profoundly revelatory. Walter Benjamin's notion of the flâneur further elaborates on this analysis, positioning the protagonist as a drifting observer. Additionally, Mark Fisher’s theory of hauntology is mentioned in understanding the concept of seeking the future through the lost future. The topography of Istanbul in film is examined in relation to the character’s internal mental map. This analysis reveals a story between space and character. The dancing camera by cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger and the sound design by Son of Philip intensify the main character’s estrangement and associated psychogeography in the film, projecting the city as an experiential field where psyche, space, and cinema intersect.

Keywords

• cinema and city
• psychogeography
• Istanbul
• New Dawn Fades
• Gürcan Keltek

CHARACTER AND COMMUNICATIVE MEMORY IN THE FILM NEW DAWN FADES PSYCHOGEOGRAPHIC TRACES

Abstract

References

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