During the 19th International Workers’ Film Festival, a new censorship revelation came from director Nejla Demirci regarding the documentary “The Decree” (Kanun Hükmü), whose screenings in Ankara and then in Istanbul were banned by district governorships. Demirci revealed that the documentary was censored by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), which supports the Workers’ Film Festival, before the bans on its screenings at Aynalı Geçit, French Culture, and Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center in Istanbul.
Speaking to the Susma Platform, Demirci said, “When the program of the festival was being made, it was decided that ‘The Decree’ would be screened at the Beyoğlu Cinema, which IBB had allocated for the festival since it had not been screened anywhere so far. A panel discussion on censorship was to be organized after the screening. Before the festival’s program was announced to the public, IBB Kültür A.Ş. saw the program and informed the festival organization that they did not want the film to be screened at Beyoğlu Cinema, saying ‘We don’t want to have any problems’. I learned this because the festival shared the program with me beforehand.” Describing this prevention as “another Antalya case”, Demirci said that because of this, the festival program was changed. The film screening was moved to Aynalı Geçit, French Culture, and Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center in Istanbul.
