Halit Refig’s film “The Lady” can be conceived as a thoroughly nostalgic film; the yearning for the city of Istanbul in old times was expressed in every part of the film. At first glance, the film was based on the story of a lonely old woman looking for a place for her cat before dying; yet, beyond this, within the structure of the film there existed a changing, disappearing, and even collapsing Istanbul and in parallel relation to the degenerating social connections in the city. In other words, the film reflected the degrading of the spatial characteristics of Istanbul and, human relations thereof. While Mrs. Olcay with an old residence on the shore house full of old furniture was the symbol of the old Istanbul, her helpless search for a safe place for her cat, on the other hand, revealed the new face of Istanbul with dehumanizing conditions of city life. Read More »
