Ege A. Özbek

Ege A. Özbek holds a Joint Master’s degree in English and American Studies from the University of Graz and Université Paris Cité. He earned his BA in American Culture and Literature with a minor in Art History from Hacettepe University. His master’s thesis focused on contemporary American eco-documentary. His research interests include visual culture, film studies, photography, and intermediality.

Project: The Manifestations of the Sentimental in Contemporary Activist Documentary

This project explores sentimentality as both an aesthetic mode and a communicative code in contemporary activist documentaries. It investigates how the sentimental evokes empathy, fosters solidarity, and inspires political engagement. Blending cinematic artistry with journalistic integrity, these documentaries challenge dominant media narratives and address the systemic injustices of neoliberalism, capitalism, racism, and colonialism, while encouraging grassroots activism. The central question guiding this study is: What are the manifestations of the sentimental mode as aesthetics and sentimental code as discourse in contemporary activist documentaries? Drawing on an interdisciplinary framework—combining affect theory, documentary film theory, cultural studies, and Marxist theory—the project examines how sentimentality can either critique or reinforce existing power structures. Methodologically, the research employs qualitative approaches such as textual and visual analysis, historical contextualization, critical discourse analysis, and comparative analysis. The study focuses on films including Union (2024), Power (2024), Powerlands (2022), The Ants & the Grasshopper (2021), and No Other Land (2024). These documentaries, chosen for their thematic range and political urgency, engage with issues such as environmental justice, labor rights, and institutional power. Through these case studies, the research highlights the transformative potential of the sentimental to shape emotional and political responses to contemporary crises.