SEARCHING FOR
SABIHA
The Dangerous Life
of a Revolutionary Grandmother
A Film for PBS Telling a Story That Echoes Today
Join us in creating a documentary about the type of freedom we need now.
The Film
SEARCHING FOR SABIHA follows a personal quest to uncover the astonishing story of modern Türkiye’s first professional female journalist–my grandmother. I’m an American journalist and what I discover is a trailblazer’s high-stakes fight for democracy. Her struggle is chillingly relevant almost 100 years later as authoritarian leaders rise in democratic strongholds.
Sabiha Sertel was born into revolution as the Ottoman Empire crumbled. She broke free from an unusual, secretive sect with Jewish roots and wielded her voice 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 to Sabiha, I discover a secret of my own… a shared hidden identity.
Sabiha Sertel, Istanbul, 1920s
“…One of the most extraordinary Turkish women of her generation…”
Stephen Kinzer
​Former New York Times Foreign Correspondent​
Watch Sabiha's Story
Why This Film Now
Our film gives audiences a rare look at the revolutionizing events of the 20th century through the eyes of a visionary female journalist. Viewers come face-to-face with the gritty resilience and sacrifice required to publicly challenge strongmen.
Sabiha and her husband, Zekeriya, live through the violent destruction of their newspaper by a government-incited mob of thousands and are forced into exile. Zekeriya is hailed as a bold pioneer, but Sabiha is shunned. I’m determined to learn why history buries her accomplishments and frightened relatives refuse to talk.
Questions about this disparity are just as relevant today. Sabiha personifies an enduring battle: a powerful woman unable to escape her past is vilified with sexist and antisemitic slurs. She is exiled and hunted down. But never silenced.
“Her courage and insight burst forth in her story… and invites us into her struggle, which is, after all, a universal struggle for justice.”
Professor Christine Philliou, University of California, Berkeley
Join us in completing this inspiring film.
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
Türkiye ranks near the bottom in a global survey of press freedom.
The United States' score also is dropping.
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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