Film Screening:

Defiance: The Night of the Failed Coup
(Cüneyt Özdemir, 2016, 89 min, Turkey, in Turkish and English w/ English Subtitles, Color, Digital) 

-- Q&A with director and journalist Cüneyt Özdemir to follow! 

On July 15th, 2016, Turkey faced a failed coup attempt. The secretive sect behind this coup attempt held army generals captive, attempted to arrest politicians and seize control of the Turkish democracy. They bombed the parliament, police stations and even military posts with warplanes, tanks, and helicopter. They opened fire on the unarmed civilians. With a call to action from President Erdogan, Turkish civilians took to the streets against the coup, risking their lives to save their country. Hundreds of thousands of people with just flags in their hands stood up against coup soldiers holding weapons. Over 246 civilians lost their lives and 2185 were injured. This is the story a nation that rose to the challenge of protecting its democracy. It is about the longest night in Turkish history filled with the stories of people who lost their spouses, brothers and families. This film recounts only the facts, and yet the facts are strong enough to seize your heart and make you believe in the impossible. This is the story of ordinary people who brought about extraordinary outcomes.

Defiance: The Night of the Failed Coup was produced and directed by one of Turkey’s most prominent and awarded journalists Cüneyt Özdemir, who reached out to the people on the streets that night as well as the families and friends of those who lost their lives. This is their story, told in their own words.

Cost: Free and open to the public.

Sponsors: The Duke University Middle East Studies Center (DUMESC), AMES Presents, the Program in the Arts of the Moving Image (AMI), and Duke University Libraries.