İlahiyat Akademi

Öz

Cartoon and animated films are among the productions that children watch for fun. Adults can also follow these productions with interest. It can be thought that they do this both to understand what the children are watching and to have a pleasant time themselves. In cartoons and animated films, it is aimed for children to acquire new knowledge, good behaviors, learn their culture, values, and beliefs, develop their imagination and have a pleasant time. Based on these purposes, in recent years, films have become a tool used in religious and values education. Movies are a means of escape for viewers from the intensity and fatigue of daily life, and can also be used during lessons in schools, helping to convey the message to children in a more entertaining and permanent way. It is known that children are more impressed by the movies they watch without getting bored and with enthusiasm. For this effect to be positive, it is deemed beneficial to increase the number of productions in which experts contribute, and national and moral values prevail. In addition to the positive effects mentioned, it is also evident that some movies can have a negative impact on children; encouraging foreign cultures and beliefs, taking negative behaviors as an example, and normalizing violence can be counted among these negative examples. To reduce their negative impacts and make them more useful and effective, movies need to be examined in terms of the beliefs and values they try to convey. The effects mentioned were decisive in the formation of the research problem. The research aimed to examine the animated film “Bilal: The Voice of Freedom” in terms of religious and values education, to reveal the values and belief characteristics given in it, to interpret important messages, and to identify negative examples, if any. The research was conducted with a “Qualitative Method”. The “Document Review” technique was used in the study. Two forms created by the researcher because of a literature review were used as data collection tools. For each research question, the movie was watched from start to finish seven times, and findings were obtained based on the forms. During the study process, the researcher carried out the following studies in order. Movies that were thought to be useful in terms of religious and values education were examined, no research was done on them, and the movie "Bilal: The Voice of Freedom", which is closer to the present day, was preferred. A literature review was conducted and theses and articles on the subject were examined. After examining studies with similar topics, research questions were prepared based on the purpose and problem. Lists to be used in examining values and religious contents have been prepared. Findings related to the focused questions were noted at each viewing. The findings were subjected to descriptive analysis and are presented in tables. Based on the findings obtained, conclusions were reached, and these results were tried to be interpreted. As a result of the research, it was determined that different messages and values were tried to be conveyed with each character in the film, 25 different values and 39 expressions and behaviors related to these values were included, 11 of them had the value of “advice (messages that develop religious and moral values)” at most, negative behavior examples such as violence and humiliation were included in the film, and the polytheists’ beliefs, especially about idols, were included. In addition, it has been determined that the movie does not include enough worship, discourses, and symbols related to the religion of Islam and that there are more than 40 message-containing sentences in the movie that can be used in religious and values education. It was concluded that the name, visual effects and music of the examined movie were effective, and its duration was suitable for the audience. Based on the research results, it was concluded that the animation film was suitable for use in religious and values education.