SİNEMADA HOLOKOST VE YUMUŞAK GÜÇ: TARİHSEL HAFIZADAN GÜNCEL POLİTİKAYA

Year 2026, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 98 - 114, 15.03.2026

Elif Yıldırım , Luey Kordi

https://doi.org/10.58702/teyd.1807717

https://izlik.org/JA84UW96SE

Abstract

Bu makale, Holokost’un sinemadaki temsillerinin uluslararası ilişkilerde yumuşak güç (soft power) stratejileriyle nasıl kesiştiğini incelemektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, söz konusu sinematik temsillerin yalnızca tarihsel bir hafıza oluşturma işlevini değil, aynı zamanda uluslararası politikada nasıl stratejik bir yumuşak güç ve kamu diplomasisi aracına dönüştürüldüğünü eleştirel bir perspektifle ortaya koymaktır. Çalışmada, Piyanist, Schindler’in Listesi, Hayat Güzeldir, Çizgili Pijamalı Çocuk, Anne Frank’ın Hatıra Defteri, Kalpazanlar, Kadersizlik ve İlgi Alanı gibi sekiz önemli film, nitel içerik analizi yöntemiyle değerlendirilmiştir. Analizlerde filmlerin anlatı yapıları, karakter temsilleri, sembolik ögeleri ve uluslararası ödülleri yumuşak güç perspektifinden ele alınmıştır. Bulgular, sinemanın hem hafıza inşasında hem de uluslararası algı yönetiminde etkili bir araç olduğunu gösterirken; Holokost’un sinemadaki temsillerinin yalnızca tarihsel bir hafıza oluşturmakla kalmayıp aynı zamanda Yahudi mağduriyetinin evrenselleştirilmesi ve İsrail’in uluslararası alandaki meşruiyetinin güçlendirilmesinde de stratejik bir rol üstlendiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Ayrıca, bu temsillerin Batı kamuoyunda Filistin gibi güncel mağduriyetlerin görünürlüğünü gölgeleyebildiği ve Holokost hafızasının güncel politik çıkarlar doğrultusunda araçsallaştırıldığı da görülmektedir. Sonuç olarak, Holokost temalı filmler uluslararası kamuoyunda empati ve tarihsel bilinç oluşturmanın yanı sıra güncel politikaların desteklenmesinde ve algı yönetiminde de önemli bir yumuşak güç ve kamu diplomasisi aracı olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Çalışma, bu temsillerin eleştirel bir bakışla değerlendirilmesi gerektiğine dikkat çekmektedir.

Keywords

Yumuşak Güç , Kamu Diplomasisi , Sinema , Holokost

THE HOLOCAUST IN CINEMA AND SOFT POWER: FROM HISTORICAL MEMORY TO CONTEMPORARY POLITICS

https://izlik.org/JA84UW96SE

Abstract

This article examines how representations of the Holocaust in cinema intersect with soft power strategies in international relations. The aim of this study is to demonstrate, from a critical perspective, how these cinematic representations not only function to create historical memory but are also transformed into a strategic soft power and public diplomacy tool in international politics. In the study, eight significant films—The Pianist, Schindler’s List, Life is Beautiful, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Counterfeiters, Fateless, and The Zone of Interest—are evaluated using qualitative content analysis. The analyses address the narrative structures, character representations, symbolic elements, and international awards of the films from a soft power perspective. The findings show that cinema is an effective tool both in the construction of memory and in the management of international perception; moreover, the representations of the Holocaust in cinema not only create a historical memory, but also play a strategic role in universalizing Jewish victimhood and strengthening Israel’s legitimacy in the international arena. Additionally, it is observed that these representations can overshadow the visibility of current victimizations such as Palestine in Western public opinion, and that Holocaust memory is instrumentalized in line with contemporary political interests. As a result, Holocaust-themed films stand out as important tools of soft power and public diplomacy, not only in creating empathy and historical awareness in the international public sphere, but also in supporting current policies and managing perceptions. The study emphasizes that these representations should be evaluated from a critical perspective.

Keywords

Soft Power , Public Diplomacy , Cinema , Holocaust

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