Enis Dinç ist Filmwissenschaftler und Experte für türkische Filmgeschichte. Er war Assistenzprofessor für Kultur- und Kommunikationswissenschaften an der Türkisch-Deutschen Universität in Istanbul sowie Gastforscher an der Princeton University und promovierte 2016 als Stipendiat der Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA) an der Universität Amsterdam. Neben seiner aktuellen Monografie "Atatürk on Screen: Documentary Film and the Making of a Leader" ist er Mitherausgeber von "Der deutsch-türkische Film: Neue kulturwissenschaftliche Perspektiven" (mit Deniz Bayrak, Yüksel Ekinci und Sarah Reininghaus). Er arbeitet zum transnationalen Kino sowie zum Türkisch-Deutschen Kino im Speziellen, beides je unter gegenwärtigen und historischen Aspekten betrachtet. Sein aktuelles Forschungsprojekt behandelt die Kulturgeschichte des Kinos im Osmanischen Reich.

Three Quick Questions:

In a few words, can you tell us about your current research interest?

In my post-doctoral research project, A Cultural History of Cinema in the Ottoman Empire (1895-1922), I will rewrite the history of cinema in the Ottoman Empire by focusing on the role of different cultures and foreign influences on the development of this medium. Moreover, I will not only explore how cinema as a technological innovation changed social, cultural, and political life but also how society's engagement with cinema shaped its specific development within the Ottoman context. My research project aims to deconstruct the dominant nationalist historiography within Turkish cinema studies and endeavors to show that cinematic culture in Turkey developed not as a unique and sudden national phenomenon, but as a result of cultural encounters, contacts, interactions, and exchanges assisted by modernization and economic globalization.

How do you relate the term poiesis to your work?

The term poiesis derives from the Greek word 'poieîn', which means to 'make', and in my work I am not only trying to understand how cinematic images influenced the Ottoman audience but also how the Ottomans viewed films and produced meanings.

Which film or other audiovisual format has resonated with you lately and why?

American television series BREAKING BAD resonated with me the most. The story, acting, characters, music, and cinematography of the series were incredible. I think Vince Gilligan created a TV series that is in many ways comparable to the greatest works of literature.