Heroes

Şehitler

Each year, crowds of Turkish, Australian, and New Zealander tourists travel to Gallipoli, Turkey for a modern-day pilgrimage. They honor their fallen soldiers who lost their lives in the Gallipoli/Çanakkale Campaign – one of the bloodiest conflicts of World War One – which is considered a defining moment in the establishment of the Turkish nation-state as well as the beginning of national consciousness in Australia and New Zealand. With heightened emotions, they move around the historical battlefields, graves, and war monuments with the help of guided tours tailored to each community. Over the course of two years, Köken Ergun joined various Gallipoli tours, recording divergent war narratives told by different tour guides, the emotional reactions of their audience, interviews with tour participants, and patriotic theatre plays organized by the Turkish state. The resulting film offers a rare insight into how nationalist emotions are kept alive through a ‘tourism of martyrdom’.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Köken Ergun

Cinematography: Batu Tezyüksel

Editing: Köken Ergun

Sound: Candaş Erdener

Producers: Köken Ergun

Format: DCP

Color: Color

Production Country: Türkiye, Australia

Production Year: 2019

Duration: 88'

Contact: Köken Ergun

Köken Ergun

Köken Ergun (born 1976, Istanbul) is a Turkish artist/ filmmaker with a background in performing arts. After working with American theatre director Robert Wilson, Ergun became involved with video art and film. His works have been exhibited internationally at institutions including Documenta 14, Paris Triennale, Jakarta Biennial, Kathmandu Triennale, SALT, Garage Moscow, Para-Site Hong Kong, and Casino Luxembourg. His films received several awards at film festivals, including the Tiger Award for Best Short Film at the 2007 Rotterdam Film Festival and a Special Mention at the 2013 Berlinale. Ergun’s films are included in public art collections of institutions such as the Centre Pompidou, Museum of Contemporary Art Athens, Stadtmuseum Berlin, and Kadist Foundation.