La Turquie des écrivains

Turkey is often described as a country caught between two worlds—with one foot in Europe and the other in the East—a nation with complex roots and an identity that remains a subject of debate.

Rooted in their society, history, and culture, yet standing entirely apart from dominant narratives regarding nation or identity, three major Turkish writers raise free, clear-sighted, and distinctive voices to reflect on what it means to be from Turkey today.

Orhan Pamuk received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006. His vast body of work embraces Turkey’s recent history and profound legacies. He shares a unique, passionate bond with Istanbul—the city he has ceaselessly written about.

Sema Kaygusuz is an emerging voice on the literary scene. Her books resonate with the Greek, Anatolian, and shamanic echoes that inhabit the Turkish imagination.

Elif Shafak is Turkey’s most widely read author. Across her books, she weaves a unique world—blending social realism with Eastern magic—capable of examining the fractures and taboos of Turkish society, such as the contentious memory of the Armenian Genocide.

Through them—and their works, characterized by demanding writing and captivating narratives—the film explores the legacies of history and the fault lines that mark present-day Turkey.

A Mathilde Damoisel documentary

Belongs to the "Europe of Writers" collection

Co-produced and broadcast by Arte France

Director : Mathilde Damoisel

DOP : Sébastien Saadoun

Length : 52 min

Editor : Jean-Baptiste Morin

Sound engineer : Alain Vernois

Subtitles : "Europe of Writers" collection