ISTANBUL CONFERENCE - MOVING BODIES
ABOUT
EUROPE’S NEOLITHIC BRIDGE
The event is part of the larger project “Europe’s Neolithic Bridge: Documenting and Disseminating the Neolithic Heritage of Anatolia”. This project aims to highlight the Anatolian archaeological heritage by means of a documentary film and a series of related conferences and gatherings in Turkey as well as in Greece and in Bulgaria. The documentary film Moving Stones will illustrate the adoption and transfer from the Near East to Europe of some of the most significant changes of the Human lifestyle: the domestication of plants and animals as well as sedentism. By the actions of this project, the Anatolian archaeological heritage will be put forward as the proof of the continuous ongoing dialogue, collaboration and cross-border exchanges of all periods. It is funded by the Grant Scheme for EU-Turkey Intercultural Dialogue Programme (ICD), which is co-financed by the European Union and republic of Turkey and implemented by the Yunus Emre Institute.
MOVING BODIES
This Workshop will stimulate academic discussion on identities, bodies and genders in the Neolithic. Increasingly more sophisticated methods for documenting the past have allowed for better understanding of the complex interactions that occurred amongst humans, animals, and their environments during the Neolithic. We aim to discuss changes, the adoption and rejection of body representations, in the treatment of the living and the dead during the spread of the Neolithic.
MOVING STONES
The documentary film Moving Stones (directed by Nalân and Enis Sakızlı, VTR YAPIM) will show how innovations characteristic of the Neolithic period moved from Western Asia to Southern Europe, via Anatolia. The documentary film project is being carried on with a core team of 8 people. During the filming of the documentary, 35 Neolithic sites and 22 museums have been shot on location. Interviews of a total of 43 scientists both from Turkey and abroad had been filmed. Also, 15 students and 23 people, who are members of the local community had been filmed. It is set for release in July 2020. The workshop in Athens will help the film makers to shape the academic content of the documentary in line with the most recent research on the Neolithic Mediterranean. Clips from session discussions will feature in the final film.
FRENCH INSTITUTE FOR ANATOLIAN STUDIES (IFEA)
Founded in 1930 as the French Archaeological Institute in Istanbul, and again in 1975 by Georges Dumézil as the French Anatolian Research Institute (USR 3131-CNRS), IFEA conducts research that covers a wide geographical area stretching from the Central Asia from Europe’s eastern border. It is an international institution that supports social and human sciences such as anthropology, demography, geography, history, sociology, political science, economics, musicology and archaeology.
VTR
VTR YAPIM is a production company specializing in the field of documentary film under the direction of director Enis Rıza and production director Nalân Sakızlı. Its work in the field of archaeology dates back 40 years, while its focus in the Neolithic dates since 15 years. Enis Rıza and Nalân Sakızlı are the first two founding members of the Association of Documentary Filmmakers in Turkey and are still active members.
BABİL
With an aim to conduct research and realise social, cultural, artistic and scientific projects, BABİL (Society Culture Art Studies and Documentary Cinema Association) was founded in 2008 in Istanbul by members from various disciplines. The organisation’s main objectives are for the support, development, and promotion of documentary films, as well as their public outreach. BABİL’s activities include screening and film reading workshops, workshops on the relationship between literature and cinema, and archiving workshops. Furthermore, BABİL has been responsible for the projects “Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture ‛Our School is Cinema’”; “Overcoming Prejudices about the Greeks and Building Trust”; and “Meeting with my Neighbour”.
İMEÇE
As a newly-founded NGO, İMEÇE works at the interface of communities, spaces and environments, and seeks to contribute to a just, inclusive and sustainable future. Comprising professionals and academics in the fields of city and regional planning, urban design, engineering, social sciences and humanities, İMEÇE has so far taken part in projects that aim to benefit local communities, environmental sustainability and cultural heritage.
ONLINE ACTIVITIES
The workshop "Moving Bodies" planned by the IFEA. Because of the impact of COVID-19. We decided to host a series of online activities during the month of September 2020 to support the project by fostering scientific communication in an alternative venue. As a result, we held a series of workshop sessions mixing presentations and open round-table discussion. The online version of Moving Bodies was an exciting experiment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic — and a great success. A fantastic number of individual from different countries joined the session and watched the presentations. Furthermore, there were virtual live sessions accompanying each presentation which gave the chance to share in real time and across different countries research outputs and ideas. The Organising Committee of the Workshop has been overwhelmed by the positive approach, exceptional engagement, and outstanding contributions by all participants around the world. We are very grateful and proud to see that the community has turned the challenges of the pandemic into opportunities. Selected videos including the main presentation are available on the project website.
