Spatial Representation of the Desire for Political Domination and Power and the Construction of the Subject: Spatial Arrangement in the Film Nasipse Adayız

Abstract

This study examines the spatial representations of political domination and the transformation of the individual within these spaces through Ercan Kesal’s 2020 film Nasipse Adayız. The film reveals how space, within a political context where representation is increasingly replaced by networks of relationships and pragmatic interests, and where public space is instrumentalized, becomes both a symbol of power and an active instrument in its construction. This transformation becomes particularly visible through Dr. Kemal’s failed attempts to establish meaningful relationships with various spaces; thus, politics is depicted as a structure that has evolved into a superficial performance dictated by personal interests.

The relationship Dr. Kemal builds with space is analyzed through Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the “production of space” and David Harvey’s spatial categories. In line with this theoretical framework, Dr. Kemal’s repeated failures to establish hierarchy cause his relationship with space to shift toward the dimensions of Spatial Practices and Relative Space. Consequently, space is reproduced through everyday practices while simultaneously acquiring different meanings and qualities depending on the observer and context. Since the film focuses primarily on power relations, it makes visible the hierarchies between characters through spaces that are constantly being transformed by interactions.