One aspect of Martin Riexinger’s project on the Turkish film Hür Adam (“The Free Man” 2011) on the life of Said Nursi is the depiction of Kemalism as an oppressive regime and the advocacy of the concept of “pious republicanism” as alternative. Not only as alternative to Kemalism but to militant Islamism and Kurdish nationalism as well. In the presentation it will be shown how these aspects are “put on he screen” and how they are related to general political discourses and cinematic traditions.