Presidency's Head of Communications Fahrettin Altun said, "If an artist who rightfully reacts to the deaths of children, women, and the elderly in Ukraine remains silent and plays ostrich in the face of the massacre of 16 thousand children and over 10 thousand women in Palestine, it is incompatible not only with art and the artist's identity but also with humanity."
Speaking at TRT's 12 Punto Award Ceremony and Gala at Kabataş High School, Head of Communications Altun expressed his pleasure to attend the award ceremony of 12 Punto, the largest script development and co-production platform of Türkiye.
Stating that Türkiye achieved great strides in every field, including culture and arts, in the Century of Türkiye, Head of Communications Altun noted that TRT expanded and diversified its support for the sector through the productions it contributes to, as well as the movies, documentaries, and TV series it produces.
Highlighting recent movies featuring the universal language of cinema, such as "Aybüke: I Became a Teacher" and "Intersection: Glad to Have You Eren," as major initiatives in uniting the nation with the ideals and heroes of Türkiye, Head of Communications Altun said, "Our nation's valiant fight on July 15, 2016, which we will commemorate on its eighth anniversary tomorrow, has engaged and continues to engage with the audience through a variety of TRT productions, including documentaries, short films, series, and movies."
Underscoring that 12 Punto was one of TRT's most significant contributions to the cinema sector in recent years, Head of Communications Altun went on to say:
"12 Punto is a truly beneficial and long-lasting initiative for Türkiye's film industry, and in my opinion, there is no comparable example. As it stands today, 12 Punto has evolved into a reference platform in the international movie business over the last six years. In this brief timeframe, a total of 111 projects were awarded under 12 Punto. It is a source of pride for us, Türkiye, TRT, and Turkish cinema that the movies produced with 12 Punto's support have begun to make an impression in the global film industry. We are proud of projects such as 'Bir Tutam Karanfil' (Cloves and Carnations), 'Hayat' (Life), 'Neandria', 'Kamış' (The Reeds), 'Turna Misali' (The Last Birds of Passage), 'Haraa', 'Tereddüt Çizgisi' (Hesitation Wound), 'Başlangıçlar' (The Onset) have been showcased in the world's most prestigious festivals from Venice to Tokyo, Toronto to Warsaw."
Expressing his belief that it was crucial to address the arts and the artist with the authenticity and depth of the sociopolitical and sociocultural dimension, Head of Communications Altun said, "Unfortunately, there exists a gap between today's dominant understanding of the arts and the qualified arts and artists, a gap that is challenging to bridge. This gap is like an abyss. Perhaps we should seek the cause of this gap in the deterioration of art comprehension and the loss of artistic authenticity."
Quoting Soviet-Russian film director Andrei Tarkovsky's remarks, which read, "I think we are here to fight, so that good and evil can clash within us, and good may prevail, thus enriching us spiritually," Head of Communications Altun highlighted the need to scrutinise whether the prevailing conception of art in contemporary times had an authenticity corresponding with the history of humanity, such as the struggle between good and evil and right and wrong.
"Artists who are concerned about the problems they see and their criticisms are extremely valuable"
Head of Communications Altun said, "Unfortunately, the global status quo wants to turn art into a popular and even vulgar instrument. For the last 200 years, the dominant capitalist cycle, machine, or system has been working tirelessly to make art an object of trade. The actors who embody such an understanding of art may transform into art entrepreneurs rather than artists. They become agents of the sovereign and popular culture."
Noting that when he uttered these words, he essentially connected the term to the authenticity, truthfulness, and questioning of art and artists, and that artists should be authentic, truthful, critical, and courageous at the same time, Head of Communications Altun continued:
"The artist's criticism and opposition must reflect the sincerity, authenticity, and depth of art while also having an all-encompassing nature. If an artist who rightfully reacts to the deaths of children, women, and the elderly in Ukraine remains silent and plays ostrich in the face of the massacre of 16 thousand children and over 10 thousand women in Palestine, it is incompatible not only with art and the artist's identity but also with humanity. Similarly, remaining silent on terrorist attacks and terrorist organisations, as well as trying to create sympathy for terrorist organisations when appropriate, is essentially a betrayal rather than a service to art. Artists who are concerned about the problems they see, the problems of the country from which they came, and who have genuine words to say about the direction society is taking, and their criticisms are extremely valuable. However, an artist who remains silent out of fear of violence and oppression in his or her own neighbourhood and who does not use the power and language of art to challenge the injustices of the global system cannot be considered a true dissident or critic.
In this context, I find the 12 Punto initiative particularly valuable. The platform allows genuine artists in search of the truth to display their works. 12 Punto is a platform dedicated to defending art and free artists against global acceptance, forms of domination, and dominant interpretations of art. The most important indicator of this is 12 Punto's special section on Palestinian cinema, which was launched this year. In a world where carrying an image evoking Palestine and criticising Israel, an invading and occupying power, is grounds for dismissal and imprisonment, organising a special section on Palestinian cinema is also challenging. It is a challenge to global injustice and this unjust system. Maha Hajj's 'Mediterranean Fever', Kamal al Jafari's 'A Fidai Film', Annemarie Jacir's 'Wajib: The Wedding Invitation', and Mai Masri's' 3000 Nights' truly showcase the power, responsibility, and criticality of art. With the power of cinema, these films bring to light an issue they are striving to conceal from the global community."
Wishing 12 Punto to achieve greater success in the coming years and expressing his gratitude to those who contributed to the award-winning productions, as well as TRT Director General Mehmet Zahid Sobacı and TRT management, Head of Communications Altun said, "Once again, I commemorate with gratitude our martyrs and veterans who sacrificed their lives for the stability and future of Türkiye 8 years ago."
Head of Communication Altun presented the awards to the directors and producers of the projects titled "Law of the Flies," "Salt of the Earth", and "Recital of Bayram" within the scope of the TRT Co-Production Awards.
The ceremony concluded with a family photo with the award-winning producers and directors.
