 Nefin Dinc, above right, while making "The Other Town." |
“The Other Town,” a documentary film by SUNY Fredonia Communication professor Nefin Dinc that explores how widespread citizen beliefs and government policies can foster prejudices that perpetuate conflict between nations, won the Audience Award at its recent world premiere at the Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival in Greece.
Dinc will screen her film for campus audiences at SUNY Fredonia on April 13 at 7:30 p.m. in McEwen Hall Room 202.
In her documentary, Dinc explores the relationship between Turkey and Greece -- two countries that have had tense relations for decades -- and concludes that bitter sentiments and prejudices against the “other” country are widespread in both countries.
Dinc and her collaborator, Greek writer Hercules Millas, visited Birgi, in western Turkey, and Dimitsana, in southern Greece, several times over the span of a year. They saw how history is taught in schools, how the other country is depicted in national celebrations and learned what dignitaries say about past conflicts.
“In the film you can see that locals of all ages in these towns are caught in a web of stereotypes that impede bilateral relationships between Turkey and Greece,” Dinc added.
The filmmakers came to understand that bad relations between the nations exist not so much due to a turbulent past, but due to contemporary nationalistic mentalities and education.
Dinc will attend the festival, considered one of the top 20 documentary film festivals in the world, for its screenings on March 14 and 15. She also plans to submit the film to other festivals. Additional information on the film is available at: www.theothertown.com
