Reflections of Migration on Literature and Cinema

Abstract

Human history has witnessed many migrations depending on various reasons. Geographical factors, economic problems, population growth, and political reasons are among the reasons for these migrations. Migrations after the Second World War were also due for similar reasons. Labour migration from Türkiye to abroad occurred in the late 1950s due to labour force problems in some developed European countries and unemployment problems in underdeveloped countries. Germany was the country most preferred by the Turks in this migration process, supported by agreements between states since the beginning of the 1960s. Turks migrated to Germany to work and earn money or work in better jobs. This migration has been complex for those who went abroad and those who stayed behind. The problems experienced by migrants going abroad to save some money and return due to language and cultural differences, social problems such as life differences, and feelings such as longing for those left behind and homesickness were expressed in the works of the period. Migration as a phenomenon has been the subject of not only poems, stories, and novels but also cinema.
 This study investigated how the first years of worker migration to Germany reflected two different branches of art. For this reason, prominent themes in novels and movies with migration themes and how migration is reflected were discussed. Also, a difference between the reflections of writers who experienced migration and those of filmmakers who did not experience migration was investigated. Since the labour migration that started in the 1960s continued also with family reunifications in the 70s and 80s, the works published in these years were examined. The results revealed that there are differences as well as common themes in the novels and movies examined.