Cinema and Film Venues Discussion Held at the Mersin City Memory Office

A panel discussion titled “Cinema and Film Venues in the Urban Memory of Mersin” was held on May 14, 2026, at the Mersin City Memory Office through the collaboration of the Mersin City Memory Office and the Mersin Film Office.

The event was moderated by Associate Professor Dr. Ulaş Bayraktar and featured Professor Dr. Senem Ayşe Duruel Erkılıç as the guest speaker. The discussion focused on Mersin’s cinema culture, cinema's role in the city’s collective memory, and the evolution of Mersin’s film venues from the past to the present.

Together with the participants, reflections were shared on the contributions of movie theaters, open-air cinemas, and cinematic experiences—important elements of Mersin’s cultural and social memory—to the city’s identity. The role of cinema in shaping and transmitting urban memory was also examined from various perspectives.

The event attracted significant interest and was conducted in an interactive format enriched by participants’ questions and contributions. Throughout the discussion, the importance of documenting and preserving Mersin’s cinematic heritage for future generations was once again emphasized.