The Boss

Directed by Hasan Başoğlu

Ahmet Vehbi Şafak, a.k.a. The Boss, is such a well-loved figure that an association was formed by his devotees. But during the Gezi Park protests of 2013, this man, until now an icon of integrity and truth, became a disappointment to those around him. For the Boss framed Gezi as a rebellion against the government and his very existence, a stance that resulted in him alienating his admirers. This wasn’t just about the rift that grew between him and his circle, it happened all over Turkey. Tolerance of difference disappeared and otherization became a cornerstone of politics. Starting out from The Boss himself, this documentary film attempts to understand the causes of polarization in Turkey.