Abstract
This study discusses subject of unity in space through Nuri Bilge Ceylan films The Small Town, Clouds of May, and Distant. In the study, the village's socio-geographical structure was examined through sequels. The hypothesis of research is the effect of social organization changes in space can be understand through village houses, which are projection of social memory. The aim of research is to investigate social changes in countryside, through films in rural sociology point of view. The scope of research is limited to cinematographic features of Nuri Bilge Ceylan's provincial sequels. In the study, a qualitative research method content analysis was preferred in order to evaluate daily life situations. A two-stage methodology was applied. In the first stage, definitions were clarified by conceptual infrastructure of sociology and interior design. In the second stage, representations of houses in films were evaluated. As a result of the research, it has been understood that it is possible to investigate social change in interior space by using sources such as cinema.
TopIntroduction
This study discusses the subject of unity in time and space through Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s rural trilogy Kasaba (The Small Town, 1997), Mayıs Sıkıntısı (Clouds of May, 1999) and Uzak (Distant, 2002). History (time) and land (space) are the elements that hold society together. In this study, in which sociocultural and architectural change is investigated through the sequels, the socio-geographical features of villages are examined by using the residential interior representations in the countryside.
The action-reaction relationship between family and society is reciprocal. This relationship, which changes over time, consists of mutually idealized features just like in other social concepts and institutions. In the family institution, as in other social institutions, there is an ‘ideal type’. In this respect, architectural spaces formed by ideal types should be evaluated with their cultural characteristics. This assessment has been made many times for cities. However, an inferential, explanatory study has not been carried out for the architectural spaces in the countryside from the perspective of society-space-time since the change in society in the countryside occurs more slowly than in the city. In this context, it can be assumed that the change in the social structure of a village -the smallest settlement unit- can be explained through the residential interior characteristics of the countryside houses, where the socio-cultural representations of families can be clearly seen. The change in interiors in the countryside takes place more slowly than in the city. For this reason, countryside residential interiors can be accepted as elements that document the social memory.
Architectural representations, which contain the necessary data for analysis of organized relationship between family and society, also form social memory. It is possible to benefit from many different data to find out the content of social memory. Different disciplines such as economics, sociology, geography, and architecture may constitute sources during data collection phase. However, to understand ‘unity in space’ with a holistic approach, it is necessary to evaluate time and space from an inclusive and broad perspective. In this context, main purpose of study is to examine change in social structure in the context of rural sociology by analysing village residential interiors through sequels. In the study, it is assumed that the life in the countryside is not compatible with modern urban life; therefore, the architectural spaces are different in terms of size, function, and socio-spatial preferences. However, despite assumed incompatibility, it is thought that village spaces are turning into urban spaces. Based on the assumptions determined within the framework of this cyclical social change, hypothesis of the research was determined as: ‘the effect of spatial changes in the countryside on social organizations can be understood through the village’s residential interiors, which are also an architectural projection of social memory’. To test the hypothesis, residential spaces in the countryside movies, where countryside residential interior representations can be seen in their authentic form without being fictionalized, were used.
The aim of the research is to investigate social changes in village space, which is a multidimensional subject in terms of rural sociology, through Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s trilogy of countryside movies that depict ‘instantaneous situations’ with a realistic approach. Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s films that document state-society structure, personality-individuality issues, and social structure-social organization in Turkey, by depicting village space in an authentic manner, are sources for understanding village life.
As the research method for the study, content analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was preferred to review and evaluate the circumstances in village life and to discover the hidden meanings behind interior representations.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Provincial Sequels: It is a work of film, theatre or video game that continues the story.
Village House: A settlement of a small size in a rural location.
Nuri Bilge Ceylan Films: He is a Turkish photographer, filmmaker, director and actor. His films are screened at Cannes.
Countryside Interior Space: It represents a casual and cozy decorating style.
Village Life: The inhabitants of such a community collectively.
Cinematographic Analysis: It is the process in which film is analyzed in terms of semiotics, narrative structure, cultural context, and other approaches.
Rural Sociology: It is a field of sociology traditionally associated with the study of social structure and conflict in rural areas.
Interior Space Design: It describes the process of determining the purpose, functional requirements, and basic layout of specific areas in a house or commercial building.