Imre Azem – Turkey/The Netherlands – 2013 

In October 2012 an international team of architects, urban planners and a small film crew spent five days in Turkey to study the urban transformation process in three cities: Ankara, Bursa and Istanbul. ‘Agoraphobia’ tells their story.

Seven months later, a wave of resistance spread through the country that was triggered by the transformation of Istanbul’s Gezi Park into a shopping mall. It is no coincidence that the unrest started with a police crackdown of protests against urban transformation: urban issues form a major component of the protestors’ demands and urban transformation has fuelled widespread discontent with public authorities.

This documentary gives an interesting insight in the power play between politics, urbanism and architecture. Similarities with Egypt’s capital and the urban developments are never far away.

Duration: 53 minutes
Language: English, Turkish (English subtitles)