Turkish-German Screen Power – The Impact of Young Turkish Immigrants on German TV and FilmSchreiben, Denken, Sprechen: in der Fremdsprache. Ein Neuansatz.

Karin E. Yeşilada (Munich) p.73-99

2008 Issue 1

Abstract

This article argues that with the emergence of a new generation of directors, screenwriters, actors and comedians, most of them Turkish born and having grown up in Germany, Turkish-German film has undergone a fundamental transformation throughout the last decade. Inspired by European migrant film productions, filmmakers like Fatih Akın have contributed to a new tone in Turkish-German cinema. Turkish comedy also forms a new genre which has spread over to German television, where Kaya Yanar has successfully established ethno-comedy. Furthermore, new TV-series, like Türkisch für Anfänger, blend the Turkish and the German together in an exploration of the experiences of a patchwork-family. Meanwhile, German public broadcasting channels try to demonstrate a degree of normalization in the area of migrant experience, presenting new, positive image of the integrated migrant on screen. This article takes a closer look at what might be described as Turkish-German screenpower.