The Collapse of Istanbul as Commodity Explained in 11 Minutes

Istanbul’s urban renewal projects and changing facade within mega projects as well as its fading ecology and history is now a documentary. 

In his 11-minute documentary, NON-SPACE: The Collapse of the City as Commodity, director İmre Azem tells the story of Istanbul’s projects supported by expert opinions, infographics and special shots from above the city. 

Azem describes his documentary as follows: “The short documentary Non-space - The Death of the City as Commodity, explores the ways in which AKP’s construction-based economic growth strategy has become a mechanism for destruction. While this economic program has turned our neighborhoods into investment tools of foreign and domestic capital, it plunders our cities, forests, water, our living spaces in general, and stamps all workers’ organizing as a threat.”

Previously, İmre Azem made Ecumenopolis: Ecumenopolis: City Without Limits - the story of Istanbul and other Mega-Cities on a neo-liberal course to destruction. It followed the story of a migrant family on their on-going struggle for housing rights.

The documentary received the Human Rights Award at Sarajevo Film Festival and Best Documentary Award at SİYAD - Association of Film Writers of Turkey. 

Non-Space, Director: İmre Azem, Producer: Gaye Günay, Mixing and Music: Kaan Çuhacı, 11 minutes. (NV/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.