Translocalizing the Frontier: The Case of the Turco-Western

What is it about?

“Translocalizing the Frontier” is an exploration of the journey of Western films in Turkish cinema. The article explores how the Western genre has crossed borders, showcasing its ability to transcend its American roots and find a distinctive voice within the Turkish film landscape._x000D_ _x000D_ The article traces the introduction of Westerns to Turkey in the late 1920s, their rise to popularity in the 1930s, and their eventual decline by the end of the 1970s. Through this historical journey, it shows the complex interplay between global influences and local storytelling, as Turkish filmmakers embraced and transformed the Western genre to reflect local narratives through the local geography. _x000D_ _x000D_ To support this, the article presents two case studies from the Turco-Western canon: Düşman Yolları Kesti [The Enemy Has Cut All the Roads] (1959) and Çifte Tabancalı Damat [The Dual-wielding Groom] (1967). These films serve as examples of how Turkish cinema has mobilized the Western genre, creating works that are at once familiarly Westerns and uniquely Turkish. In these films, the frontier is reimagined in the Turkish context, offering a rich terrain for exploring the intersections of culture, history, and cinema._x000D_ _x000D_ “Translocalizing the Frontier” invites readers to reflect on how films transcend boundaries and create new cultural dialogues. It highlights the ways in which global genres can be localized. In doing so, these films contribute to a richer, more diverse popular cinema landscape._x000D_

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