History-based entertainment productions are time capsules of the past , shocasing the lives that we didn’t have the privilege living and admiring. But from our screens we can still visualize the traces left behind by the generations that marked their presence through their essence and stories that are generated and shared with us.
Not every historical encyclopedia acts like one, some are complex and tangled with in-depth information that takes the reader’s and viewer’s attention away. Leaving them with a blank space of wanting to solve a puzzle with no missing pieces. And that relates to entertainment productions too, the ones that tend to have the same elements of educational content and tourism in an every entertaining manner and style, but tend to lose their original form in the middle of the storyline and information.
Among all the visual aspects of information and content that builds one’s narrative about a specific culture and history, Istanbul Encyclopediaprovides an intense bird’s view from the outer context of the city, as well as a detailed description form the inside. The series is a collection of 8 episodes that are inspired by different parts of the city, with different themes of visualization of the city’s past and present. While the historical narrative is a solid base to explore and enjoy through the city’s magnificence sites, the inner aspect of culture and philosophical beliefs are not widely presented and understood in previous productions.
The series takes the viewers into a journey of experiencing the past and present while understanding the inside theory of the community’s beliefs and practices. Turkey is known to be divided between the Muslim and the Secular population who have their own battles to solve and fight. The push and pull game has been an on-going struggle for decades, but love and harmony in a city as wide and beautiful as Istanbul has the power to soften every soul and struggle within. For the city is based on equality and understanding, and by far no entertainment production delivered the particular aspect of the beauty that differences and diversity holds. People might be from the same place and town, but beliefs get in the way and turn things around.
And that’s exactly how the story started and developed. Zehra, a 19 year old student who moved to Istanbul and decided to stay with her mother’s longtime best friend Nesrin who is everything Zehra is not. Their journey starts with confusion and the delicate visualization of the differences between the two lives of those characters. But in a beautiful manner where harmony takes place, understanding and acceptance tends to be the theme the whole series is built on.
Zehra comes from a conservative background, and that has been portrayed by the way she dresses which is based on modest clothing, the use of language and terms, which was shown throw a phone call she had with her mother. Instead of the modern way of greetings of hi and hello, she went by Alsalamalaykum, the traditional islamic way to greet. Nesrin on the other hand is the complete opposite, she’s a modern female who works in the medical industry and believes in nothing but living life as a whole. Zehra is everything Nesrin isn’t. She doesn’t drink, while Nesrin celebrates through it. She makes sure to pray by following the Islamic tradition and rule, while Nesrin doesn’t, as she got shocked when she heard the floor creaking but then noticed that the source was just Zehra’s legs hitting the floor as she sat down and got up for prayer.
While Zehra is highly excited to begin her journey in Istanbul, Nesrin is eager to move away from the city as soon as possible, in which her dream came true when she got her acceptance letter of an application she filled for a job in France. The middle ground of the story showcases how a united society could be divided by the idea of differences. Friendships end, marriages fail and families disconnect. But when a simple explanation has been set through, everything could change in a glimpse.
As a student, Zehra’s first assignment was to follow the real “Istanbul Encyclopedia” and write an essay about one of the sites that grabbed her attention the most. And that’s when the production team started working on their magic of bringing of the beauty of Istanbul into the mainstream media and making it possible to get people interested enough to interact with the sites and the plot of the story too.
The plot of the story is divided into multiple themes, first being the bold line that divides a community due to their beliefs, and the second is the historical aspect of the city that unites people about the magnificence of their past that they hold pride in regardless of their ideologies.
Throughout the development of the plot, viewers will explore each and every character’s mindset and beliefs, a simple gesture of why they act the way they do. That will add an elements of excitement as character development will turn into a theme of accepting others regardless, because in the end we’re all humans, connected by the thread of humanity. The shocking aspect of it will be based on the changes that some characters will go through, which includes Nesrin too. Not only Nesrin will have a change of heart, but Zehra will start to develop and fight the battles of her personal experience as well. Nesrin’s stubbornness will flex, as viewers will be taken into an intimate experience of accepting and loving what is different despite one’s personal beliefs.
This show is an interactive story and experience that conjoins different parts of the community under one place. Making them fight their demons and reasons to reach a higher standard of living and clarity.
The production team and the directors have spent time working on the project and the details that brought every aspect of division and history into life. As it showed through the way they portrayed each character’s story and dialogue through their actions and the way they dressed, which is an important detail that are missed in modern productions. But in here, every detail counts, as viewers will experience the end of a long puzzle in the final episode when all the pieces have been set.
And just like every entertainment production that has been set in Istanbul, the sites chosen for Zehra’s project are of high importance that are in need to be known and recognized by others around the globe. It’s a tour around the cultural heritage of the city as well as the idealogical sense and view of the people who live within the heart of the city. You might as well book your tickets in advance and secure an arrangement for all the places that have been listed in the show and you plan to visit soon !
Original article
Comments