She was born in Samsun. She completed primary, secondary education and high school in Samsun. In 1985, she graduated from Marmara University, Radio and Television department. She got her master’s degree in 1996 from the same department. Her thesis, titled “Kitle İletişiminde İmaj” (Image in Mass Communication) was published in 1997 by Science Publications. Its second issue was published in 2003 by İM Publications. Her second book “Bilincin Haritası” (Map of the Consciousness) was again published by İM Publications in 2003. Her third book “Hayat Veren Bakire” (“Life Giving Virgin”) published by Potkal in 2021. Since 2016, she exhibits her own documanteries and hosts expert guests in a private section for her own at the International 360*Love Festival. She served as a jury member at several festivals.
She did journalism for a while and worked at Data Research Center as a researcher. She made programmes for various television channels and TRT (Turkish Radio Television). She did lecturering in Istanbul University, Faculty of Communication for the lecture Television Directing, between 2008-2009, for two semesters. She gave a seminar in the same subject at International Cyprus University. İsmet Yazıcı is a member of Turkish Journalists Association and she works as a producer and director in the Turkish Radio Television.
İsmet Yazıcı has been doing the production, directorship and the text authorship of the documentary series on symbols-notion-meaning at TRT Foundation, since 1999. In the documentary series which she prepared in 1999, called SURETTEKİ SIR (Secret in the Appearance), she narrated the objects and the meanings they evoke, as well as their symbolic equivalences in cultural history. In the series which was produced as thirteen episodes, she included symbols such as, in order, Mask, Money, House, Mirror, Stairs, Map, Door, Key, Plane, Writing Equipments, Window, Bridge and Clock.
She produced the documentary programme, YEDİ-VEREN DÜŞLERİ (Everglooming Dreams) which was aired in 2000, as seven episodes. In the documentary, in which each episode a colour was examined, she gave place to the colours, in order, “red”, “white”, “blue”, “yellow”, “green”, “black” and “purple”. She examined the meanings which were attiributed to these colours in philosophy, pyschology, mythology, theosophy, history, art; in brief, universal culture.
BİLİNCİN HARİTASI (Map of the Consciousness) of which the production year is 2002, deals with the four periods, four entrance doors of mankind which are childhood, youth, adulthood and old age. Their traces in culture and the meanings these four periods transmitted to life which form the map of the consciousness is the subject of the documentary.
In YOLCU (Traveller), of which the release date is 2004, in the four episodes that were produced, the theme of ‘journey’ was put on the base of 4 elements that generate life; soil, water, fire and air. These four basic notions’ mental and physical journeys that carry human symbolically were narrated.
KÜLTÜRLERDE KURBAN (Sacrifice in Cultures), produced in 2007, was broadcast as one episode. The notion ‘sacrifice’ which settled into people’s subconciousness through thousands of years of adventure and is one of the most important rituals of symbols that shaped culture, was the narrating point.
SAKLI KENTİN SIRDAŞI (Confidant of the Hidden City) which was aired as 4 episodes in 2010; was a documentary on paper and pen. Through this two objects: human was narrated; who made these objects meaningful, who gathered them and made them the witnesses of time.
İKİ DENİZİN BİRLEŞTİĞİ YERDE (Where Two Seas Meet) produced in 2013 is a 3-episode documentary produced to comprehend wholeness in duality and oneness in multiplicity. Twenty first century, on the one hand, is the time of chaos on the other hand; this century, when soil is watered with blood, is the time to consider again about reinquiring the answers found out by man regarding becoming human. In this recall break, it is crucial to trace the symbols humans have created for thousands of years and take the hints of the meanings attached to them. Because, the history of culture and belief is hidden behind the curtains of binary and it is covered by the patterns of the “whole and holism”.
SIR (The Secret), produced in 2013 – 2015, the 49 wise men of the East are narrated, who were fermented in the soil of the world, whose perceptions of existence and unity became a mirror to humanity, who were immortalized with their voices and with what they conveyed.
ZAMANIN ŞAHİDİ (The Witness of Time), produced in 2016. In this documentary, based on various notions of Sufism, in 7 episodes, 7 doors guide the THE WITNESS OF TIME: Love, Path, The Perfect Human, Unification, The World, Initiation, The Entity…
The documentary Gurbet / Absence From Home (2022) focuses on the Turkish workers who went abroad to work and their families in the 1960s. The narration has been woven with letters written for each other, photographs that were sent, audio recordings, different objects, archive documents and images. For the shooting of the documentary, the archive of DiasporaTürk was used. The archive of the organization was opened for the first time and only for the use of this documentary.
Among the programmes she directed; there are also “Sesler Kalır” (Sounds Stay), “Düşlerle Gelen” (Coming With the Dreams), “Erol Akyavaş”, “Kurtuluş Savaşı’nda Donanmamız” (Our Navy in the Independence War), “Barbaros Hayreddin”, “Ateşi Çalmak” (Stealing Fire), “Metalin Dansı” (Dance of Metal), “Bulmaca Maratonu” (Race for Crossswords), “Ah Bir Kahve Olsa” (If Only There Was Coffee), “Sonsuz Yarış” (Endless Race) and “Sinevizyon” (Cinevision). Between the years 2010-2011, She was the general director of the art and culture programme “Hayat +” (Life +) which was aired live for 5 weekdays at night. In 2012, she did the production and directing of the Turkey part of the project City Folk which was a TRT – EBU (Europe Broadcasting Union) co-production.
Rewards:
Her documentary programme “Suretteki Sır” (Secret in the Appearance) won the 1999 TV Oscar prize in the documentary category, given by Radio Television Journalists’ Association.
With her documentary programme “Yedi-Veren Düşleri (Everblooming Dreams) she was chosen as the Journalist of the Year in the category Television (Culture and Art Programmes), by The Turkish Journalists’ Association, in 2000.
Her documentary programme, “Bilincin Haritası” (Map of the Consciousness), was rewarded with the Jury Grand Prize in Television, at 2002 Turkish Journalists’ Association Sedat Simavi Awards.
“Kültürlerde Kurban” “Sacrifices in Cultures” was rewarded with the Best Third Proffessional Movie Award at 9th International Golden Safran Documentary Film Festival.
İSMET YAZICI
