writing_womans_lives_symposium_paper_book_v2

eginning of the film, without imposing any power position. As opposed to the narrative of many
youth films, Deniz and Kaya’s having sex is not romanticised in the film as if it is the most important
moment of a teenager woman’s life. Instead, it is presented as an ordinary practice that provides
pleasure and is worthy of experiencing without making it such a big deal. Again, we are assured that
Deniz, as the young female protagonist, is in charge of her body, her relations and the level of
intimacy she desires in her interaction with the “boyfriend.”
Figure 1. Deniz and Kaya, Mavi Dalga
Considering alcohol, smoking and sex being the taboos in many cinematic narratives which leads
towards the “wrong way” for women of modesty, Mavi Dalga’s unpretentious screening of young
men and women having a party together and yet no sign of harassment, no tragic violent event
taking place, simply nothing bad happening is an emancipatory discourse of the film. Similarly, a
young woman having a crush for a teacher and the teacher making a move yet the young women not
being trapped in a vulnerable situation and no drama being narrated, or a young and popular looking
woman‐ Perin‐ entering the lives of Deniz and her friends and a little bit of popularity contest at the
initial days yet no show of a female rivalry leading towards a tragic end taking place is another aspect
of feminist narrative. Moreover, instead of the rivalry between the young women we witness a
strong friendship and solidarity of women being the hegemonic discourse of the film, which are
rather uncommon narratives on screen. Hence, I argue that, these are the narratives which
deconstruct the stereotypical cinematic narratives. The criticisms of film lacking a dramatic tension
states a normative and traditional point of view, as the audience we do not find ourselves in the
position to think that the young girl is sexually abused by men (of any age group), the naïve girl being
deluded with the idea of romantic love and lose her virginity or the female rivalry causing some
unreasonable catfight with some tragic end. Instead of these, the film empowers the young woman
by giving her the point of view in a non‐didactic manner. Therefore, the non‐existence of tension
built through normative femininity performances offers a new cinematic language that propagates
mundaneness in film aesthetic.
Similarly, the scenes showing these young women flirting, partying, dressing up, making up etc.
are not constructed for the pleasure of male gaze. They are represented from the women’s point of
view as ordinary moments instead of epic moments designed for the voyeuristic male gaze. The
make up
scene also provides a narrative that tells the audience that the make‐up is not for the male
appreciation but for the pleasure of femininity shared among women.
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