Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s 1930 Speech to Americans: A Remarkable Historical Encounter

In 1930, a video surfaced that can be described as nothing short of a captivating lesson in communication. This historical footage captures a momentous encounter between the American ambassador, Joseph C. Grew, and the visionary leader of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, as they embarked on a tour of the Atatürk Orman Çiftliği (Atatürk Forest Farm). What makes this video all the more intriguing is that it was filmed by none other than David Wark Griffith, who had journeyed to Turkey to celebrate his 50th birthday.

David Wark Griffith, renowned for his intelligence and creativity among his peers, not only directed the footage but also brought with him a state-of-the-art sound recording device, known as the “phonograph.” During the filming, he simultaneously captured both the visuals and Atatürk’s voice, later synchronizing them into the mesmerizing historical artifact we have today. It’s worth noting that Griffith received valuable assistance from Fazlı Necip, one of the first Ottoman directors, who shared his expertise. In gratitude for Necip’s assistance, he gifted the industrious young filmmaker a box of hair cream and a short film he had made in 1922, titled “Istanbul Perisi” (The Fairy of Istanbul).

However, there is a debate surrounding the exact location where this historic encounter took place. While some cinema historians argue that it occurred at the Atatürk Forest Farm, an opposing theory posits that it was at a summer residence near Çengelköy, owned by a Greek cotton merchant and a close friend of Mustafa Kemal.

To delve deeper into the intriguing details of this encounter and the film’s location, one can turn to the thesis titled “Istanbullite Pleasure Seekers at the Turn of the Century: Early Cinema Spectatorship in Istanbul from the 1890s to 1930s,” which was crafted in the Anthropological and Film Studies department at the University of St. Andrews. This thesis provides a comprehensive exploration of early cinema spectatorship in Istanbul during the specified period and offers valuable insights into this captivating piece of history.