The Stories of Papur
October 2026 - September 2027
KOCAELİ, İSTANBUL, İZMİR, SİVAS
A traffic accident on a dusty road in Sivas in 1988 did more than bring the life of a folk musician to an end: where official records fell silent, it sowed the seeds of a legend that would endure for decades. Much like Abdullah Papur’s music, the story of his death has continued to circulate from one person to another, becoming an enduring legend in the public conscience and collective memory. Allegations that Papur was killed because of his political and cultural stance form the starting point of these narratives. Focusing on the accounts that have emerged to fill the gaps left by mainstream media coverage, the documentary explores how a collective narrative has taken shape around a death whose circumstances remain unclear.
At a time when the left-wing movement was particularly influential, Papur reflected his political stance in his music. During the years when the Kurdish language was prohibited, he sang in his mother tongue, boldly expressing his Alevi identity and musical heritage. He was even imprisoned because of his songs. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, his music became a source of solace for the urban and rural poor, and a voice for migrant workers living away from home and for prisoners during a period of intense migration. Despite receiving almost no coverage in mainstream media, his records and cassette tapes gained widespread popularity in the peripheral neighbourhoods of major cities, across rural areas and among Turkish migrant workers in Europe.
Rooted in the tradition of the ozan (folk poet-musician) and Alevi culture, Papur nevertheless reached a broad cross-section of society, connecting with audiences beyond these cultural contexts through his distinctive narrative style and thematic approach.
Drawing on the legends surrounding Papur’s death, the documentary brings together testimonies from his family, listeners and music producers, placing them alongside the social and historical conditions of the period and Papur’s music. The Legends of Papur explores how the life of a musician that began and ended in Sivas became a symbol of resistance across the country and abroad, particularly in the peripheral neighbourhoods of major cities. It also examines why his death continues to be regarded by many as something other than an accident.
İren Dicle Aytaç
İren Dicle Aytaç completed her undergraduate degree in Philosophy at Hacettepe University and received her MA and PhD in Radio, Television and Cinema from Gazi University. Since 2012, she has been working as a lecturer in the Department of Radio, Television and Cinema at Kocaeli University.
She has held editorial positions at academic journals and contributed articles to various film publications. To date, she has undertaken a range of roles at film festivals, including festival director, delivered film analysis courses and organised independent film screenings. Combining her theoretical research in cinema with practical production experience, Aytaç most recently served as executive producer of the documentary Sıradan Günler (Ordinary Days).
Evren Doğan
Evren Doğan was born in 1979 in Varto, a district of Muş. He completed his undergraduate degree in Journalism at the Faculty of Communication, Ege University, followed by an MA at Kocaeli University and a PhD at Ege University.
Alongside his academic career, he also studied in the Department of Cinema at Dokuz Eylül University’s Faculty of Fine Arts for a period. He has worked in studio photography, including professionally, and has also produced literary work. His short stories have received several awards.
He began his academic career at the Faculty of Communication, Kocaeli University, in 2013 and continues to work at the same institution. In addition to his academic and literary writing, he continues to develop screenplays.
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