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The reemergence of İstanbul’s film industry: a path-dependence perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2017

Özlem Öz  and
Kaya Özkaracalar
Özlem Öz
Affiliation:
Department of Management, Boğaziçi University, 34342, Bebek, İstanbul, Turkey, ozlem.oz@boun.edu.tr.
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Abstract

This article analyzes the reemergence of the film industry in İstanbul since the mid-1990s. In exploring the industrial and spatial dynamics of this process of reemergence, we employ the perspective of path dependence, conducted with the aid of historical analysis and in-depth interviews with the key actors of the sector. By zooming in on the details of this industry’s reemergence, we uncover the specifics of the process of revival in terms of both the industry itself and of location. Analysis of the industry reveals the impact on the revival of İstanbul’s film sector of system-wide developments, the key roles played by the advertising and television sectors, and entrepreneurial initiatives. Analysis of location, on the other hand, reveals that, following the collapse of Yeşilçam—the historical center of İstanbul’s film industry—two new clusters have emerged, one located in the vicinity of the old center (Beyoğlu) and the other in a rising commercial district (Levent).

Keywords

İstanbulfilm industrypath-dependencehistorical geographyfilm clusters
Type
Articles
Information
New Perspectives on Turkey , Volume 56 , May 2017 , pp. 61 - 85
Copyright
© New Perspectives on Turkey and Cambridge University Press 2017 

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Footnotes

Authors’ Note: The authors would like to express their gratitude to Erkan Büker, Deniz Gürgen, and Ayça Vardarlı for establishing contacts for the interviews.

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