Date Time Bahar Simsek: ‘Research does not need to be holistic’ How does audio-visual materials shape the identity of people when those people do not own their own land and are being oppressed? Bahar Simsek delved into the effect of film on the Kurdish identity. She will obtain her PhD on 4 May. A PhD in the field of media was not an obvious choice for Simsek. Initially, she studied mathematics but later decided to follow her interest in communication. ‘I was interested in film, mainly the ways in which they depict ethnical controversy in Turkey. I wanted to find out whether there exists something like Kurdish cinema and to figure out in what ways films might shape the Kurdish identity. In this way, I could also give a voice to my own position and experiences. Erik-Jan Zurcher (professor emeritus Turkish Studies, ed.) is a well-known name within my field. I was thus honoured that he wanted to supervise me.’