Fight The Power: Burning Days incl. introduction

Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul and the announced presidential candidate against Erdoğan, was arrested on March 23rd following his diploma’s rescission through a non-transparent “judicial” process, rendering him unable to run for president. Since then, hundreds of thousands are protesting in Turkey for justice, despite the protest bans. Thousands are arrested, among many facing disproportionate police violence, including tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and water cannons.

For this edition of Fight The Power: Films of Resistance, we’re screening Burning Days (Kurak Günler, 2022), a Turkish political thriller directed by Emin Alper. The protagonist, Emre, is an idealistic young prosecutor assigned to Balkaya, a drought-stricken small town in Turkey. As he investigates a case involving the town’s folk, he faces corruption, intimidation, and growing political tension. The film reflects on authoritarianism and social decay, mirroring the political climate in Turkey under its current regime.

This screening is arranged by an independent group of UvA students from Turkey, in solidarity with their fellow students in Turkey who face police violence and unlawful arrests upon the latest protests flared-up by İmamoğlu’s detention. Together they will present a short introduction before the film to contextualise what is currently happening in Turkey and how this connects to Burning Days (€3 surcharge).