The French Pavilion presents
Mustapha Kemal Atatürk:
The Birth of a Republic
Documentary
by Séverine LABAT
filmmaker
Saturday 7 th January 2017
5:00 pm
In French – Duration: 90 min
The itinerary of Mustapha Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938) merges with the history of the end of the Ottoman Empire and the birth of the Turkish Republic. From his attendance at military schools (liberation and patriotism centers) to his role during the War of Independence (1919-1922), the taking of power by the “Young Turks” in 1908, and his weapon skills in the Dardanelles during the
First World War, this documentary traces the accession to the summit of the state of a national hero, and his impressive undertaking of reforms. Archive images (including excerpts from a 36-hour speech by Mustapha Kemal) and testimonies of historians complement each other to draw the face of the father of the Turkish nation. The movie maker, Séverine Labat, is a doctor in political sciences (IEP Paris), researcher at CNRS, specialist of the Arab World and of urban violence in France. She speaks Arabic and made several films for the French television.
