A Discussion of the Digital Data of the Female/Male Film Set Workers in the Turkish Film Industry in the Context of Social Gender Codes

Abstract

The existence of women as employees in the field of cinema has always been one of the important matters of debate in terms of feminist film history and feminist film theories. This debate is a reminder that women are once again made to stay in the background in the public sphere compared to men. Even in the twenty-first century, women’s visibility as employees in the field of cinema remains a questionable issue. This study was carried out to reveal the difference between the number of female set workers and the number of male set workers employed in the Turkish cinema industry. Using qualitative methods, the study presents numerical data from between the years 2013-2018 in the context of Turkish films that came to theaters in Turkey during this time. The differences between the number of female set workers and male set workers are graphically illustrated in relation to the number of directors, scriptwriters, directors of photography, and producers. This study aims to reveal the visibility of women in the film industry. The numerical data presented in this context aim to relate the concept of social gender to the topic of subjectivity. In a world order where social gender codes are reinforced from a patriarchal perspective, women need to be granted rights in the context of equality of employment opportunities. Both academic studies and women’s activism in the field can increase women’s visibility and pave the way for them to work with men within a framework of equal rights. Therefore, the study will be continued in the following years. Presenting the data and discussing the results of this study in the field will not only raise practical issues in relation to cinematic practice but will also bring to light some of the relevant questions that exist in feminist film theory. In this context, the changes that have characterized Turkish Cinema will be compared to relevant changes in both European Cinema and Hollywood.