The aim of this course is to examine cinema not merely as an art form or a means of entertainment, but as a powerful visual narrative that shapes historical consciousness, produces ideological meaning, and contributes to the construction of social and national identities. Within this framework, the relationship between cinema, history, perception, and propaganda is analyzed from both theoretical and historical perspectives, from the emergence of cinema to contemporary visual culture. The course focuses on how cinema represents, reconstructs, or transforms history through themes such as nationhood, war, modernization, religion, and collective memory. By placing Turkish cinema at the center, the course critically evaluates the possibilities and limitations of using cinema as a tool for understanding and teaching history.

This course explores the dynamic relationship between cinema and history, emphasizing cinema as a narrative device that not only reflects the past but also interprets and reconstructs it. Beginning with the biological and cultural foundations of visual perception, the course examines pre-cinematic devices, early cinema, propaganda films, historical cinema, and popular visual narratives. Throughout the course, concepts such as ideology, identity, and collective memory are discussed through examples including war films, national narratives, historical films, television series, and popular culture. With a particular focus on Turkish cinema, the course critically analyzes the role of cinema in historical representation, history education, and the formation of social perception.