Our Philosophy

Established in 1997, the Association of Documentary Filmmakers in Turkey (BSB) is a platform uniting members of the profession. It is a non-governmental initiative advocating documentary film as an indispensible element of the plurality of civil society. Among its primary concerns are the preservation social history, cultural continuity, and environmental conservation.

BSB recognizes that the institutional establishment of documentary film directly increases a society's capacity to bear witness to its history, its ability to influence events by intervening with knowledge and creativity, and its capacity to conceive of and construct its future.

BSB believes that a society can attain universal human values only through exploring, examining and confronting itself. With people and life itself as its subject, documentary film is uniquely situated to prepare society's claim to the common inheritance of humanity.

BSB asserts that defending freedom of thought, expression, production and creativity is essential, and, as such, it seeks to define its own arena of freedom and independence.

With the belief that its organizational struture should reflect its character as thus defined, BSB has developed a structure that is based on voluntary, active participation, trust and direct democracy; it requires from its members only the self-discipline that such an organizational structure demands. Any organizational sub-structures that subsequently emerge must conform to and reflect the general principles of this overarching framework.

BSB believes that scientific and artistic disciplines should inform the production of documentary film and the development of documentary film theory; it aims to define its internal disciplines accordingly.

BSB possesses aesthetic concerns in every field. Alongside the pusuit of truth in all its many facets, BSB also encourages the development of imagination and the capacity to dream.

BSB assumes that each of its members-whether academician, theoretician, professional, amateur or aspiring documentary filmmaker-accepts these principles and the ensuing responsibilities as a way of life.