Can Candan
I am an independent filmmaker and a faculty member at Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey. I have a BA from Hampshire College/USA in film and video, and an MFA (terminal degree, comparable to a PhD) from Temple University/USA in film and media arts.
I have taught film courses and workshops in universities and media education centers in the USA and in Turkey. At Bogazici, I teach documentary history, theory, criticism; documentary cinema in Turkey and mentor film-related projects and theses. I published "Kurdish Documentary Cinema of Turkey" (2016, Cambridge Scholars Publishing) an edited book with Suncem Koçer (PhD). I am working on a new book (in Turkish) on the history of documentary cinema in Turkey with Sonay Ban (PhD). I was a founding member of docIstanbul Center for Documentary Studies, host of the 2010 Visible Evidence International Documentary Studies Conference at Bogazici University.
As a filmmaker since 1989, my works have been screened internationally at festivals, conferences, schools, universities, in galleries, cinemas, and on TV. My three award-winning feature length documentary films are in international distribution and I have been working on "Nuclear alla Turca,” a new feature documentary film on the nuclear stories of Turkey.
In 2005, I resigned as the chair of the Film and TV Department of Istanbul Bilgi University after the university administration refused to take action on a sexual harassment case and I was subsequently dismissed. In 2012, I helped establish Bogaziçi University's Sexual Harassment Prevention Commission. In 2014, I resigned as the head of the jury of the national documentary film competition at the Antalya International Film Festival, Turkey, calling attention to the censoring of a documentary about the Gezi Park Uprising. In January 2016, I was one of the 2212 signatories of the Academics for Peace declaration calling on the Turkish Government to end the violence against the Kurdish population and resolve the conflict through peaceful means. Along with all the signatories, I was accused of "making propaganda for a terrorist organization" and tried in a heavy penal court facing a minimum jail sentence of 15 months. Following the constitutional court’s ruling in favor of freedom of speech in 2019, I was acquitted of all charges.
Since January 2021, I have been actively participating in and documenting the ongoing Bogazici University resistance. I was the academic advisor of Bogaziçi's LGBTI+ student club, closed down in February 2021 by the government. On July 16th, 2021, after 14 years of teaching full-time at Bogaziçi University, I was unjustly and unlawfully dismissed from my position by the appointed rector, which was regarded null and void by the Bogazici University community. A number of international campaigns were organized in solidarity. I fought a legal battle against my dismissal and in April 2022 I was re-instated after the court ruled that my dismissal was unlawful. Despite this ruling, I was dismissed once again by the same appointed rector in July 2022. I once again took the university administration to court, with full support of the Bogazici University community and my union. The administrative court nullified my dismissal once again and I was re-instated in June 2023. In July 2023, I was dismissed for a third time despite the previous court decisions and have initiated a new legal battle...
In 2021, I received the Turkish Film Critics Association (SIYAD)’s Honor Award and became a member of the Honor Board of the Association of University Faculty (UNIVDER) in Turkey. I continue to actively advocate for peace, human rights, freedom of speech and expression as well as environmental protection.
Filmography:
"NUCLEAR ALLA TURCA" (in development): a feature-length documentary looking at the history of the nuclear in Turkey, as the country's first nuclear plant is under construction by Russia despite public opposition.
"ÇATALHÖYÜK IN THE MAKING" (in development): a documentary about Çatalhöyük, the world-famous archeological site of a 9000 year-old Neolithic settlement in the central plains of Turkey, still in the making.
"MY CHILD" (2013): a feature-length documentary about a very courageous and inspiring group of mothers and fathers in Istanbul, who are parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender individuals.
“3 HOURS” (2008): a feature-length documentary witnessing six Istanbul high-school seniors’ year-long trials and tribulations to have the right to study at a university.
“DUVARLAR, MAUERN, WALLS” (2000): a feature-length documentary about the Turkish immigrant community in post-Wall Berlin.
“EXODUS” (1991): a short documentary about the 1989 exodus of ethnic Turks from Bulgaria.
“BOYCOTT COKE” (1989): a short agit-prop video about the anti-Apartheid Coca-Cola boycott.
Address: Bogazici University
Dept. of Western Languages and Literatures, Film Studies Program
Bebek, Istanbul 34342
Turkey
I have taught film courses and workshops in universities and media education centers in the USA and in Turkey. At Bogazici, I teach documentary history, theory, criticism; documentary cinema in Turkey and mentor film-related projects and theses. I published "Kurdish Documentary Cinema of Turkey" (2016, Cambridge Scholars Publishing) an edited book with Suncem Koçer (PhD). I am working on a new book (in Turkish) on the history of documentary cinema in Turkey with Sonay Ban (PhD). I was a founding member of docIstanbul Center for Documentary Studies, host of the 2010 Visible Evidence International Documentary Studies Conference at Bogazici University.
As a filmmaker since 1989, my works have been screened internationally at festivals, conferences, schools, universities, in galleries, cinemas, and on TV. My three award-winning feature length documentary films are in international distribution and I have been working on "Nuclear alla Turca,” a new feature documentary film on the nuclear stories of Turkey.
In 2005, I resigned as the chair of the Film and TV Department of Istanbul Bilgi University after the university administration refused to take action on a sexual harassment case and I was subsequently dismissed. In 2012, I helped establish Bogaziçi University's Sexual Harassment Prevention Commission. In 2014, I resigned as the head of the jury of the national documentary film competition at the Antalya International Film Festival, Turkey, calling attention to the censoring of a documentary about the Gezi Park Uprising. In January 2016, I was one of the 2212 signatories of the Academics for Peace declaration calling on the Turkish Government to end the violence against the Kurdish population and resolve the conflict through peaceful means. Along with all the signatories, I was accused of "making propaganda for a terrorist organization" and tried in a heavy penal court facing a minimum jail sentence of 15 months. Following the constitutional court’s ruling in favor of freedom of speech in 2019, I was acquitted of all charges.
Since January 2021, I have been actively participating in and documenting the ongoing Bogazici University resistance. I was the academic advisor of Bogaziçi's LGBTI+ student club, closed down in February 2021 by the government. On July 16th, 2021, after 14 years of teaching full-time at Bogaziçi University, I was unjustly and unlawfully dismissed from my position by the appointed rector, which was regarded null and void by the Bogazici University community. A number of international campaigns were organized in solidarity. I fought a legal battle against my dismissal and in April 2022 I was re-instated after the court ruled that my dismissal was unlawful. Despite this ruling, I was dismissed once again by the same appointed rector in July 2022. I once again took the university administration to court, with full support of the Bogazici University community and my union. The administrative court nullified my dismissal once again and I was re-instated in June 2023. In July 2023, I was dismissed for a third time despite the previous court decisions and have initiated a new legal battle...
In 2021, I received the Turkish Film Critics Association (SIYAD)’s Honor Award and became a member of the Honor Board of the Association of University Faculty (UNIVDER) in Turkey. I continue to actively advocate for peace, human rights, freedom of speech and expression as well as environmental protection.
Filmography:
"NUCLEAR ALLA TURCA" (in development): a feature-length documentary looking at the history of the nuclear in Turkey, as the country's first nuclear plant is under construction by Russia despite public opposition.
"ÇATALHÖYÜK IN THE MAKING" (in development): a documentary about Çatalhöyük, the world-famous archeological site of a 9000 year-old Neolithic settlement in the central plains of Turkey, still in the making.
"MY CHILD" (2013): a feature-length documentary about a very courageous and inspiring group of mothers and fathers in Istanbul, who are parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender individuals.
“3 HOURS” (2008): a feature-length documentary witnessing six Istanbul high-school seniors’ year-long trials and tribulations to have the right to study at a university.
“DUVARLAR, MAUERN, WALLS” (2000): a feature-length documentary about the Turkish immigrant community in post-Wall Berlin.
“EXODUS” (1991): a short documentary about the 1989 exodus of ethnic Turks from Bulgaria.
“BOYCOTT COKE” (1989): a short agit-prop video about the anti-Apartheid Coca-Cola boycott.
Address: Bogazici University
Dept. of Western Languages and Literatures, Film Studies Program
Bebek, Istanbul 34342
Turkey
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Videos by Can Candan
İnci, 16 Temmuz’da okulun artık simge ismi haline gelen, akademisyenlerin nöbetlerini kayıt altına alarak kamuoyu ile paylaşan öğretim elemanı Can Candan’ın da işine son verdi. Candan’ın sözleşmesi yenilenmedi. Üstelik gerçek olmayan gerekçeler ileri sürüldü.
Ancak Candan’ın sözleşmesinin yenilenmemesi onu derslerini yapmaktan alıkoyamadı. Ya da bir akademisyeni okuldan uzaklaştırma çalışmaları diğer akademisyenler için gözdağı olmadı. Aksine diğer akademisyenler daha da kenetlendi. Her gün rektörlük binasına gidip sırtlarını dönerek yaptıkları eylemler artık daha kalabalık olmaya başladı.
Can Candan geçen hafta da okula alınmadı. Güvenlik görevlileri bizzat rektörlük talimatı olduğunu açıkladı. Ancak bu da Candan’ın ders vermesine engel olamadı.
Films by Can Candan
Books by Can Candan
Book Sections by Can Candan
Articles (in Turkish) by Can Candan
İnci, 16 Temmuz’da okulun artık simge ismi haline gelen, akademisyenlerin nöbetlerini kayıt altına alarak kamuoyu ile paylaşan öğretim elemanı Can Candan’ın da işine son verdi. Candan’ın sözleşmesi yenilenmedi. Üstelik gerçek olmayan gerekçeler ileri sürüldü.
Ancak Candan’ın sözleşmesinin yenilenmemesi onu derslerini yapmaktan alıkoyamadı. Ya da bir akademisyeni okuldan uzaklaştırma çalışmaları diğer akademisyenler için gözdağı olmadı. Aksine diğer akademisyenler daha da kenetlendi. Her gün rektörlük binasına gidip sırtlarını dönerek yaptıkları eylemler artık daha kalabalık olmaya başladı.
Can Candan geçen hafta da okula alınmadı. Güvenlik görevlileri bizzat rektörlük talimatı olduğunu açıkladı. Ancak bu da Candan’ın ders vermesine engel olamadı.
* Uzak
Yayınlanma tarihi : 06-07-2012