An examination of the thematic consistency and auteur signature in Tolga Karaçelik’s cinema

The objective of this study is to analyse the filmography of Tolga Karaçelik, a director who is representative of the Recent Turkish Cinema, within the framework of the Auteur theory. This approach aims to elucidate the thematic consistency that forms the foundation of his cinematic style. The research sample consists of the director's feature films Gişe Memuru, Sarmaşık, Kelebekler, and Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Story of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer. In this study, the deductive thematic analysis method was employed as a qualitative data analysis technique, with latent coding being adopted. A systematic analysis process was undertaken, resulting in the identification of four fundamental thematic axes: authority and power, journey, dysfunctional relationships, and madness, suicide, and death. The research findings demonstrate that Karaçelik's characters are confined, both physically and psychologically, within the narrative structures he employs. Furthermore, the blend of tragedy and absurd humour is indicative of a consistent structure that extends from local stories to universal existential crises. The inclusion of the director's latest film, which was shot in English, in this structure serves to demonstrate that thematic continuity is able to transcend cultural boundaries. This study systematically demonstrates the content and formal continuity in Karaçelik’s cinema, thereby supporting the director's distinct auteur identity in Recent Turkish Cinema.