“If cities are a reflection of the society, what can we say about ourselves by looking at Istanbul? What kind of city are we leaving behind for future generations? Ecological limits have been surpassed. Economic limits have been surpassed. Population limits have been surpassed. Social cohesion has been lost. Here is the picture of neoliberal urbanism: Ecumenopolis.” The background of the recent clashes in Turkey is the rapid transformation of a city, Istanbul, which has become, after London and Moscow, the third largest city in Europe with its nearby 15 million inhabitants. The process of increasing urbanization is investigated in the documentary “Ekümenopolis: City without limits“. Already in its title, Ecumenopolis echoes the term coined in 1967 by Constantinos Apostolou Doxiadis, a Greek city planner: the idea of a single continuous worldwide city as a result of current urbanization and population growth trends. The documentary questions the transformation’s dynamics featuring interviews with experts, academics, investors, city dwellers etc.
About Associate Professor Dr. Ulas Basar Gezgin:
Dr. Ulas Basar Gezgin is an Associate Professor of Applied Communication, a journalist, a social science researcher and an academic with 17 years of teaching experience in various institutions in Turkey, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia, and research experience in New Zealand (PhD work), Australia (joint project) and Latin America (journalism). He holds degrees in education, psychology, cognitive science and urban planning.
As of 2017, he has published 14 books, 16 e-books, and a high number of book chapters and journal articles in various fields. A novel, an opera libretto, edited collections, poetry, a compilation of his stories, textbooks and translations etc. are among his works. Since 2014, he has been teaching Management and Economics courses at British University Vietnam. He is the program leader in Finance & Economics.
Language: Turkish with Vietnamese and English subtitle
Film Screening and Discussion “Ekümenopolis: City Without Limits” will be screened on Sat 15 Apr 2017, 7.30 pm – 10 pm at Six Space, 6th floor, 94B Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi and on Mon 17 Apr 2017, 8.30 pm – 10.30 pm at Yoko Café, 22A Nguyen Thi Dieu, HCMC.