Under the Shadow of Occupations

October 15 - December 10, 2023

Pera Film, in coordination with the Occupied City exhibition organized by the Istanbul Research Institute, revisits one of the most pivotal points in cinema history, the birth years of Italian Neorealism. Under the Shadow of Occupations traces the radical impacts of war on cities and communities through the War Trilogy filmed by pioneer figure Roberto Rossellini right after World War II. 

The trilogy, composed of Rome Open City (1945), Paisan (1946), and Germany Year Zero (1948), has garnered attention with its simple yet authentic aesthetic, a cast mainly comprised of amateur actors, and original narrative techniques that broke traditional molds; not only capturing the essence of a specific historical period but also significantly influencing the narrative and formal features of modern cinema.

Winning the Grand Prize at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, Rome Open City, one of the early examples of neorealist cinema, portrays life and resistance in Nazi-occupied Rome, while Paisan follows stories in six cities in Italy during the war. The final installment, Germany Year Zero, depicts the misery in post-war Berlin streets through the tragic story of a 12-year-old boy.

Film screenings within this program are accessible with a discounted museum entrance ticket. Tickets can be obtained from Biletix or the reception of Pera Museum. In accordance with legal regulations, all screenings are restricted to persons over 18 years of age unless stated otherwise.

October 15

15:00 Rome Open City

October 18

19:00 Paisan

October 22

15:00 Germany Year Zero

December 2

15:00 Rome Open City

December 8

19:00 Paisan

December 10

15:00 Germany Year Zero

Rome Open City

Rome Open City

Paisan

Paisan

Germany Year Zero

Germany Year Zero

At Once Ancient and All Too Contemporary  <br>Tatiana Trouvé

At Once Ancient and All Too Contemporary
Tatiana Trouvé

Pera Museum, in collaboration with Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), is one of the main venues for this year’s 15th Istanbul Biennial from 16 September to 12 November 2017.

Nam June Paik Video Art’s Pioneer

Nam June Paik Video Art’s Pioneer

Nam June Paik was video art’s pioneer (1932 –2006). It is interesting that while Warhol and Nameth were experimenting with psychedelic happenings that combined rock, film and performance, the video art pioneers Nam June Paik, Stephen Beck, Eric Siegel and Steina Vasulka were researching in a similar direction.

Memory Building Memories / Memory Room / Memento Mori

Memory Building Memories / Memory Room / Memento Mori

Each memory tells an intimate story; each collection presents us with the reality of containing an intimate story as well. The collection is akin to a whole in which many memories and stories of the artist, the viewer, and the collector are brought together. At the heart of a collection is memory, nurtured from the past and projecting into the future.