@article{article_1711116, title={Camera, Archive, Nation: The Institutionalization of Representation in Turkish War of Independence Films}, journal={Kronotop İletişim Dergisi}, volume={2}, pages={370–394}, year={2025}, author={Doğaner, Saygın Koray}, keywords={Kurtuluş Savaşı, Ulusal kimlik, Tarihsel Bellek, İdeolojik Temsil, Militarizm ve Sinema}, abstract={This study explores the narrational structure and ideological representations of films about the Turkish War of Independence. The main aim is to show that these films not only visualize war but also take part in the process of nation-state building. Key themes such as heroism, patriotism and sacrifice are examined through their role in the narratives, with special attention to how the figure of the soldier is presented as an ideal citizen. Female characters, by contrast, are mostly placed in secondary roles defined by love, loyalty or devotion. This dynamic offers important insights into the reproduction of gender roles within the cinematic narrative structure. These films tend to follow the official historical narrative, combining archival footage and voice-over narration to shape collective memory. In doing so, they blur the lines between reality and representation, allowing fiction to gain documentary-like authority. The way documentaries and fiction are brought together turns cinema into more than just a form of art. It becomes a means of shaping how the past is remembered, internalized and emotionally experienced by the audience. As a result, the visual and thematic strategies used in these films function as instruments of cultural transmission. In this context, films about the War of Independence play a major role in the construction of national memory and allow the audience to engage with and reproduce a shared sense of identity that aligns with dominant historical narratives and values upheld by the state.}, number={2}, publisher={Hatay Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi}