A Study on Arzu Film Production and Family Representation: The Films Bizim Aile [Our Family] (1975) and Gülen Gözler [Smiling Eyes] (1977)

Abstract

Arzu Film, one of the most important private production companies in Turkish cinema,
particularly in the 1970s, emphasized the importance of family through elements of comedy and
drama in many family-themed films. The use of similar characters, often played by the same
actors, and the structuring of social dynamics through comedy and drama in films produced by
Arzu Film increased the interest of cinema audiences of the time. The fact that many of these films
are still popular on television and digital platforms today is a result of this interest. This study
selects the films Our Family] (1975) and Gülen Gözler [Smiling Eyes] (1977), produced by Arzu
Film, as examples. The aim of this study is to determine how the cinema of that period
approached and structured the concept of family by examining these two films. The aim of this
study is to determine how the cinema of that period approached and structured the concept of
family by examining these two films. In this context, the study aims to analyze these films using
document analysis methods, focusing on setting, characters, social roles, socio-economic
structure, comedic and dramatic elements. The study reveals that the elements identified in the
films are used in a balanced manner to emphasize the concept of family and underline its
importance.