We are excited to announce a special talk by Mert Örsler on Friday, June 27 at 12:30 in FFB 011
Title: Dizi and Power in a Global Age
The wide reception of the Turkish televisual seriality called “dizi” in and, especially, outside its country of origin has led to the development of several notable hypotheses explaining the phenomenon, such as the one that might be referred to as the “soft power hypothesis.” “Dizi and Power in a Global Age” will revisit this hypothesis that is now well recognizable in discourses around Turkish screen media to rethink some of its key implications. The primary goal here is to help bridge the gap between dizi scholarship and relevant social and cultural theory. While acknowledging the value of the hypothesis’ rigorous skepticism, this presentation will maintain that the international dizi-viewing landscape is greater than a homogenous mass of uncreative and uncritical media receivers.
Biography
M. Mert Örsler is a Ph.D. candidate in the Cinema Studies Institute (CSI) at the University of Toronto. He has received multiple Cinema Studies scholarships and, recently, the Mary H. Beatty Fellowship in his doctoral program, where he writes a dissertation on dizi. Mert taught one of the CSI’s Summer 2024 undergraduate courses, “The Global TV Serial,” as an instructor. His most recent essay appears in Adaptation in Turkish Literature, Cinema, and Media (2025).