Ayhan and me

For an exhibition in Istanbul, artist and activist belit sağ came up with the idea of making a video about Ayhan Çarkın, a member of a death squad responsible for murdering at least 1,000 Kurds. Çarkın became troubled by his conscience and made a public admission of guilt. This news was quickly swept under the rug, however, and the authorities had the same thing in mind for sağ’s video. So she decided to change the subject and make a study of the workings of censorship. Sağ is intrigued by the dangers that apparently lurk in images, and the indirect ways in which the Turkish authorities try to keep them out of sight. Her video essay is a razor-sharp analysis of the way censorship is internalized to become self-censorship. She examines how pieces of recent history are erased, and the process receives a veneer of good reason. Ultimately, the film is an exploration of the power of images and the tense relationship that can develop between art and state control.