ODTÜ Tarihi Directed by Berrin Balay Tuncer , Önder M. Özdem

If a light is on after midnight in a room, it means there’s a METU student working there.

The documentary, created through the oral history method, consists of two parts: “Bozkırı Yeşertenler” and “Zor Yıllar.” The first part, “Bozkırı Yeşertenler” (1956–1963), tells the story of those who, chasing a dream, founded METU on the barren plains of Ankara—a university that would soon gain recognition both nationally and internationally. The second part, “Zor Yıllar,” takes the audience to a time of rebellion and hope, looking at Turkey’s history through the lens of events that took place at the university between 1964–1980. The film also bears witness to key moments such as the burning of U.S. Ambassador Comer’s car by students; the resignation of then-rector Kemal Kurdaş, who opposed the students’ demand to bury METU student Taylan Özgür—killed in the first unsolved murder of the 1968 movement—on campus.