MERC, MES, and Turkish Language Program: Film Screening and Discussion

Introduction by: Robert Zens Assistant Professor of History Le Moyne College  Robert Zens received his Ph.D. in Ottoman and Modern Turkish History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He has published numerous articles on Ottoman history, namely late eighteenth-century provincial elites, and Ottoman and Modern Turkish historiography. He co-edited Ottoman Borderlands: Issues, Personalities and Political Changes and Hoca, 'Allame, Puits de Science. Essays in Honor of Kemal H. Karpat. Additionally, he served as the associate editor of the International Journal of Turkish Studies. “Mustafa” Directed by Can Dündar, 2008 (110 min) The biography of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who not only grew himself up from a poor lonely child to a country's most loved person, but also rose a new country from the ashes of an empire. A story of a soldier, an eminent statesman and a great reformist. The life of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk from his early childhood to his death, in most of which he remained lonely despite being among crowds. This film detaches Atatürk, the founder and the first president of modern Turkey, from known stereotypes and presents him as a human that has fears, weaknesses, desires and ideals.(Turkish with English subtitles). Followed by a Q & A session with Prof. Zens Light refreshments will be provided.