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Films have been used as instruments of diplomacy since the invention of the camera, Turkish musician and composer Burak Saygili said at the Film Diplomacy Conference 2025 in Istanbul, underlining cinema’s long-standing role in shaping global narratives and cross-cultural perceptions.
Speaking at the international event, Saygili explained that cinema, particularly through powerful visual storytelling, has consistently been used to convey political, historical, and cultural messages to mass audiences.
He pointed out that Hollywood, like other major film industries, has relied on cinema as a diplomatic tool, citing widely known films such as The Pianist, Schindler’s List and Inglourious Basterds as examples that foreground the Holocaust and Nazi atrocities through compelling narratives.
Saygili linked cinema’s diplomatic influence to technological change, noting that the invention of the camera transformed communication by gradually pushing written text into the background. According to him, this process is still evolving, as traditional cinema screens are now being challenged by digital platforms that reach audiences in faster and more direct ways.
“If something is to be said in the field of diplomacy today, it has to be carried out through digital channels,” he said, stressing that online distribution has taken visual storytelling to a different level. In this context, cinema continues to function as a bridge between societies, even as the tools used to deliver films keep shifting.
While underlining the positive role of cultural diplomacy, Saygili also warned that it can easily turn into cultural imperialism. He referred to the global consumption of Hollywood productions as an example of how content can become homogenized and dominate local cultures.
He emphasized that cultural exchange should be based on mutual development rather than imposition, arguing that one culture should not be placed above another through cinema or other cultural products.
The conference also focused on concrete examples of cinema’s diplomatic impact. Murat Emir Kaya, a member of the provincial executive board of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)’s Youth Branch in Istanbul, highlighted a specific scene in the film Ayla as a successful use of cinematic diplomacy.
He referred to a moment involving ants, which he said subtly conveyed that Turkish soldiers were present in Korea for peace during the Korean War.
Kaya added that the 2017 Turkish–South Korean film strengthened cultural and diplomatic ties between the two countries, showing how a single story can resonate beyond national borders.
Can Ulkay, the director of Ayla, described awareness as one of cinema’s most important missions. He noted that some viewers began researching the Korean War after watching the film, suggesting that cinema can prompt audiences to engage more deeply with history.
Ulkay also said that Koreans have long felt close to Turks, although this mutual affection was not always fully recognized.
Actor Muttalip Mujdeci further illustrated cinema’s global reach by noting that visitors from countries such as Japan and Spain travel to see filming locations and meet actors, turning screen stories into real-world cultural encounters.
The three-day Film Diplomacy Conference 2025 brought together participants from around the world under the theme “Building Diplomats Through the Lens.”
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