SEARCHING FOR SABIHA
The Dangerous Life
of a Revolutionary Grandmother
A FILM FOR PBS
The Film
SEARCHING FOR SABIHA follows a personal quest to uncover the astonishing story of Turkiye’s first professional female journalist—my grandmother. I’m an American journalist and what I discovers is a trailblazer’s high-stakes fight for democracy. Her struggle is chillingly relevant 100 years later as authoritarian leaders rise around the globe.
Sabiha Sertel was born into revolution as the Ottoman Empire crumbled. She broke free from a highly secretive sect descended from Sephardic Jews and wielded her power as a journalist. The film reveals how she dared to challenge the men who ruled the nation with an iron hand.
As I unravel the mystery of what happened so Sabiha, I discover a secret of my own… a hidden Jewish identity.
Sabiha Sertel, Istanbul, 1920s
“…One of the most extraordinary Turkish women of her generation…”
Stephen Kinzer
​Former New York Times Foreign Correspondent​
Why This Film Now
Walking in my grandmother’s footsteps, I come face-to-face with the same type of brutal tactics that now threaten freedom in my own country. Viewers witness the gritty resilience and sacrifice required to publicly challenge strongmen.
When Sabiha and her husband, Zekeriya, push to end the dictatorship, a government-incited mob destroys their newspaper and they’re forced into exile. Zekeriya is hailed as a bold pioneer, but Sabiha is shunned. I’m determined to learn why history buries her groundbreaking work and frightened relatives refuse to talk.
Our film gives audiences a rare look at the revolutionizing events of the 20th century through the eyes of a visionary female journalist and feminist.
Sabiha personifies an enduring battle: a powerful woman vilified with antisemitic slurs and smeared as a dangerous communist. She is exiled and hunted down. But never is silenced.
Inspiring New Generations
“Her legacy is a moral compass today… for anyone who cares for free speech and press.”
Ezgi BaÅŸaran, Turkish journalist and author
Host an Event
Our film begins important conversations about protecting our freedoms.
“[I have] a deep hatred for all forms of coercion and oppression. I found myself rebelling against every injustice I witnessed.”
Sabiha Sertel in exile, 1968
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“In some of the most influential democracies in the world, populist leaders have overseen concerted attempts to throttle the independence of the media sector.”
Freedom House, 2019