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Counter/Public: The Politics of Committed Film in the Philippines
No full textThe objective of this research-creation exhibition is to demonstrate a theory/praxis research method developed for documentary filmmaker-scholars. The session will demonstrate a method developed while researching my dissertation “Counter/Public: The Politics of Committed Film in the Philippines.” The research focuses on the Philippine “new cinema” (the 1970s-1980s) and follows two articulations—academic writing surveying primary and secondary texts in the field and a parallel interactive documentary and “social history.” The latter consists of conversations with twenty-five cultural producers and political participants (archivists, journalists, actors, editors, filmmakers, and activists) active during Philippine “democratization.” Said conversations thoroughly explore the subject’s involvement, motivations, and ideas and were carefully lit and filmed with two cameras.
I began experimenting with different ways of putting the video footage into tension with the past. In so doing drew upon several theories. One was Allan Sekula’s argument for combining a materialist cultural history with montage. Another was Steve Anderson’s notion of database histories—an alternative to digital historiographies that, instead of historicizing the past, use database and search engine to construct a more flexible, reflexive, and participatory digital archive. A third was borrowed from Sharon Daniel, who envisions interface design as “argument” and user interaction and navigation as “inquiry.” Through an almost iconoclastic approach (in lieu of performative alienation effects), Daniel’s practice attempts to challenge the viewer’s assumptions about narrative construction while foregrounding contradictions between politics and aesthetics.
The result—an interactive database documentary—combines documentary and qualitative research methods. As with many documentaries, I was dependent upon collaboration and ideas proposed by the subject while questioning the subject’s truth claims, aesthetic construction, etc. In terms of the interface design, I chose images of archives, vinegar-syndrome afflicted film, and distressed video as metaphors to represent reification and memory loss. I broke down the interview material into roughly one-minute edits consisting of tightly intercut, differing, and even contradictory recollections of two interviewees. The “script” for these edits was “written” using qualitative analysis software (f4analyse)—revealing patterns and topics that might not otherwise have surfaced. The viewer can access said edits in the interactive documentary (made in Klynt) by clicking on either COUNTER/PUBLIC or COMMITTED/FILM. The long-form interviews are available from a drop-down menu linked to a YouTube channel. The idea is not only to preserve the excess footage but publish the informant interviews (here, as “social history” integrated into and standing alongside an interactive documentary) for viewers who either reconstruct the research process themselves or—if they prefer—perform their own research.
Bibliography
Anderson, Steve. Technologies of History: Visual Media and the Eccentricity of the Past. Hanover, New Hampshire: Dartmouth University Press, 2011.
Daniel, Sharon. "On Politics and Aesthetics," in Studies in Documentary Film: iDocs special edition, Volume 6, issue 2, edited by Judith Aston, Jonathan Dovey and Sandra Gaudenzi (Bristol: Intellectual Journals, 2012) 215-227.
______. Public Secrets. Interactive web documentary. Vectors Journal, Issue 4, 2008. http://vectors.usc.edu/issues/4/publicsecrets/
______. Blood Sugar. 2006, interactive web documentary. In Vectors Journal, Issue 6, 2010. http://vectorsjournal.org/issues/6/bloodsugar/
Sekula, Allan. "Reading an Archive: Photography Between Labour and Capital." In The Photography Reader, edited by Liz Wells, 443-452. New York: Routledge, 2003.
Complexity in Postmigrant Narratives of I-Docs
No full textWhat epistemological potential do participatory organized web documentaries offer in comparison to \u27conventional\u27 documentaries? Does a closer analysis reveal differences between different participatory approaches? And what role does the construction of complexity play in terms of emancipatory effects?
These are the initial questions of my contribution which deals with an epistemology of participatory web documentaries in relation to the construction of complex knowledge worlds. It starts with a theoretical deconstruction of different notions of participation and their application in web documentaries. In doing so, the constructed frames of reference and narratives, the functioning of the developed self-designs as well as the negotiation processes of design are also examined with respect to their epistemological potential. Still, the concept of participation calls for differentiation and clarification in general and its use in individual cases; all too often the term "participation" has been used vaguely and turned into an umbrella term under which medial interactivity and participation, social and political participation, and cultural perception and recognition are conflated. It is precisely the equation of media participation with social and political participation that seems problematic here.
From the perspective of a critique of dividuation inspired by Gilles Deleuze and presented for example by Michaela Ott, participation seems to make sense only if it critically reflects the passivization imposed by digital communication and the entanglement of individuals in a complex network of social, cultural, and technological references – hence also normalized, stereotypical patterns of perception and cognition. Ultimately, this requires an examination of antagonistic, polyphonic, multi-perspectival and multi-media, thus also media self-reflexive forms of expression on different levels, which must be negotiated in their interplay. In short, such enganglements require an examination of the medial construction of relational forms of complexity, which is the prerequisite for participation to have an emancipatory effect at all.
The paper will fathom this theoretical context by an analysis of paradigmatically selected participatory web documentaries, examining different forms of complexity with regard to their epistemological and emancipatory potential. Thus, I will argue for a methodological shift of perspective that leads from an analysis of works to an analysis of their processuality. This – in the end, makes it necessary to recognize that it is also a question of how the various notions of participation – ranging from strategies of voice-giving realized in web-documentaries to dimensions of engaged listening – can contribute in their own respect to the development of polyphonic, multifaceted perspectives and make doing documentary a medium for negotiating positions and a means for self-empowerment of the stakeholders involved in these processes
Aural Authenticity of Virtual Reality Documentary Made in 3D Virtual Environment
No full textThe concept of documentary is a \u27notoriously slippery eel\u27, or even the slipperiest one in the history of cinema (Kahana, 2016). Movies inside virtual reality are one of the promising talked-about areas in the VR industry. With the involvement of virtual reality in the production of documentaries, the dialectic between virtuality and authenticity makes this concept of documentary even more elusive, especially for VR documentaries made in 3D. In the viewing experience, the virtual environment is built upon computing \u27true depth\u27. This virtual cinematic space is set up through the modelling in software (e.g. Maya and 3D Max) and then to 3D engine (e.g. Unity or Unreal). Therefore, a dialectical critique arises: Do documentary exists in VR films? When the spaces and mise-en-scène of the documentary are all artificially created through computing software, whether it can still be considered as an authentic form of documentary? How can this sub-genre of documentary continue to exist as a kind of proclaimed ‘non-fiction’ when the film is based entirely on fictional visual input? The current discussion on the realistic qualities of VR documentaries focuses on the questioning on the virtual nature of the visual environment and neglects that listening is also part of the experience in this VE. So, is it possible to understand the authenticity of the VR documentary from the perspective of auditory system? This paper provides a perspective for understanding the auditory authenticity of non-fictional restoration of virtual environments (VE) in virtual reality (VR) documentaries. Such a perspective argues that although the VR documentaries are made with 3D modelling and computing engine, their authenticity in sound remains in line with the documentary principle. In the sound design perspective, it simultaneously creates a non-fictional soundscape to reproduce the ‘genius loci’ (spirit of place) based on the real individual perception in history. In the first part of paper, we review how the documentary film has set itself apart as a non-fictional genre based on Bill Nichols’s analysis of the boundary between traditional documentary and its counterparts in cinema. And then we place this principle on aural reality in the context of HRCS (Head-Related Coordinate System) and HRTF (Head-Related Transfer Function) to argue VR documentary as a sub-genre of the documentary film in aural technical basis. In the second part, we explore the concept of ‘soundscape’ in the sound design of VR documentaries, analysing how such a virtual sound environment establishes an authentic spirit of space in the case of Anne Frank House VR. This study only explores the auditory sound in virtual places, and does not address the discussion of artificial fictional sounds outside cinematic space (e.g. music, voice-overs, UI Panel sounds.
Political Engagement in Carne y Arena by Alejandro González Iñárritu: Subordinating VR Technology to Refugee’s Human Conditions
No full textCreated by Mexican awarded director Alejandro González Iñárritu, Carne y Arena is an immersive mixed-reality installation that allows visitors to experience traumatic and violent incidents with illegal immigrants crossing the Mexican–US border. Carne y Arena’s mixed reality combines VR experience with physical components, turning it into a multisensory, bodily immersive experience. As part of the art installation, the whole VR arena is surrounded by the remains of a wall’s border; while inside, actual immigrants’ clothes and objects are also exhibited. Another component is the documentary aspect, where real-life characters recount their stories through video testimonies.
Iñárritu immerses and makes the visitors experience refugees’ stories first-hand while exploring their emotional reactions to traumatic realities through a spiral of corporeal sensations and entertainment spectacle.
According to Iñárritu, the intent is to subordinate technology to the human condition. Technology does mean nothing unless it can reveal or denounce people’s situations. Therefore, technology must be subordinated to humans, humanity, and art. “I despise technology,” says the filmmaker. But, has film lost the power to engage the viewers emotionally? Can virtual reality simulate refugees’ dispossession (the sense of the self) and alleviate society’s consciousness? In this paper, I examine the role of a museum installation featuring refugees’ discourses; the VR technology in bringing forward the visitor’s social engagement; and the issues the filmmaker address, such as the refugee’s experience in contemporary global society
Refugee Storytelling and Interactive Socio-Political Films: From Immersive Technologies Aesthetics to Activism and Social Inclusion.
No full textInteractive films have contributed to the viewers/users’ increasing storytelling engagement with social issues and events. With the rise of interactivity and refugee films, previous forms and storytelling methods have been changed and reformed in hybridity and as emerging immersive technologies.
While these technological developments increase the overall complexity of the storytelling’s interface, they forced many users to reexamine their understanding of what they see and experience in this mediated world. Users must have a foundational knowledge of media literacy to interact with its interface and reap the benefits meaningfully. At the same time, the machine-based advances in interactivity can be referred to as the ‘interface of knowledge.’ Which type of social engagement has been created through interactive technological storytelling? Which social engagement or subject is more appropriate or efficient for interactive narratives? Do refugee stories and discourses contribute to interactive engagement?
The popularization and celebration of immersive technologies, such as virtual reality and interactive films, requires significant financial spending power, digital literacy, and access to specific resources and technologies, which most of their subject do not have access to. Therefore, the barrier to approaching these immersive technologies is relatively high and inaccessible for the vast majority.
This research aims to analyze a series of interactive films focusing on refugees’ storytelling, politics and aesthetics to examine their socio-political engagement. But first, what refugee stories have that appeal and make all these practitioners opt for a more engaging narrative medium? What is the refugee’s contribution or uniqueness that engages creators and viewers/users/players to adventure in their disarray? A strong connection with people whose lives are far from most of the users’ reality creating and being present within distant worlds calls the attention to the traditional cinematic narrative, which often fails to rouse the audience.
In this paper, I argue that in interactive narratives, refugee characters and stories redefine the agency and potential of traditional film storytelling while granting the ability to recreate their history/fate. Also, these stories can engender a change in the world or redone the world with a sense of justice for dependable and trustful characters. Refugees possess an allegory of fantasy and unachievable reality that comfort their users. Characters without faces or names, but with well-known and reliable stories, make the users closer to the situation (moral aspect) and responsible (political sense) for their future
Aural Authenticity and Reality in Soundscape of VR Documentary
No full textThe documentary concept is a \u27notoriously slippery eel,\u27 or even the slipperiest one in the history of cinema (Kahana, 2016). With the involvement of virtual reality in the production of documentaries, the dialectic between virtuality and authenticity makes this concept even more elusive. Does documentary exist in VR films? When the spaces and mise-en-scène of the documentary are all artificially created through computing software, can it still be considered an authentic form of a documentary? How can this sub-genre of documentary continue to exist as a kind of proclaimed ‘non-fiction’ when the film is based entirely on fictional visual input? This paper aims to put the discussion on visual realities aside and provides a perspective for understanding how real auditory characteristics are built up in virtual environments (VE) of virtual reality documentaries. We develop this argument in three parts. In the first part, we define a virtual reality documentary and distinguish it from other virtual reality films based on Bill Nichols’s analysis of the boundary between traditional documentary and other types of films. Then, we describe the design and implementation of the aural simulation systems with HRTF (Head-Related Transfer Function) in virtual reality documentary sound design to illustrate how it could reproduce realistic physical hearing for viewers. In the final part, we explore the concept of ‘soundscape’ as it applies to VR documentaries, attempting to show that the sense of authenticity in the audition is related to generating the genius loci (spirit of place) of the viewers based on the case analysis of Anne Frank House VR. Such a spirit of place is embedded in the hearing experience of those who experienced it
The politics and practices of representing bodies in capitalism: A discussion about public health in Mexico & beyond.
No full textBackgroundThis publication was produced from a roundtable discussion about the cultural politics of representation and metabolic illness commissioned by the organizers of the 2021 “Just Food” conference jointly held by the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS), the Agriculture, Food & Human Values Society (AFHVS), the Canadian Association for Food Studies (CAFS), and the Society for the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition (SAFN). A film had been submitted titled, El Susto: Mexico’s Love Affair with Sugary Drinks Turns Deadly, produced by Karen Akins (2020) and Just Food organizers wished to screen it at the online conference and foster an academic roundtable discussion to unpack some of the tropes that frequently surround discussions of globalized markets of processed foods and the rise of metabolic illness.
With questions posed by the roundtable Chair, Emily Yates-Doerr, the discussion focused broadly on the challenge of problematizing the inequitable burden of metabolic illness among equity-seeking groups without stigmatizing those who consume foods that are often seen as the cause of disease. Specifically, panelists considered how to redress the corporate greed that drives expanding global markets for processed food, without pathologizing racialized and fat bodies. The panelists jointly insisted that academic inquiry and activism should keep the focus on political and economic structures, such as trade agreements and health policies, which undergird health inequities, rather than individual dietary choice or a lack of education.
Roundtable panelists were selected by the Just Food conference organizers because of their expertise on metabolic disorder, the cultural practice of capitalism(s), and techniques of representation. Because we believe the conversation has relevance for anyone working on or thinking about health and its representation – in or outside of Mexico -- we are reproducing it here. We have lightly edited the transcript of the conversation to help with readability
Examining the psychological and behavioural patterns of students in Sri Lanka during COVID-19: A qualitative study
No full textBackground: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or COVID-19 pandemic affected many international students, including the Sri Lankan youth and young adults who were studying in the United Kingdom (UK), and repatriated to the motherland during the first wave. The current study aimed to explore and understand the lived experiences, behaviour, and psychological patterns of these students during their lockdown in the UK; quarantine and self-isolation; and repatriation back to Sri Lanka. Methods: This descriptive qualitative study was planned and conducted in a quarantine environment based on the lived experiences of two authors (KA and NW), who were also repatriated students due to COVID-19 pandemic. A convenient sample of sixteen (16) repatriated students (age ranged from 18 – 34) participated in the study. Data was collected using multiple methods including questionnaires, researchers’ objective observations and semi-structured interviews (conducted over the phone or online). The thematic analysis method was used for data analysis. Results: Both positive and negative psychological and behavioural patterns were observed. Three themes emerged were: (1) Fear, worry and anxiety, (2) Irritability and agitation, and (3) Adherence to safety precautions. Many reported negative abrupt changes to their education and lifestyles during this stressful situation. Perceived stigma and emotional imbalance have caused difficulty in coping. Positive changes such as increased efficacy in academic activities, exploring new hobbies and healthy coping skills were also reported. Conclusion: Findings highlight the need for addressing age-specific behavioural, psychological, and educational needs of youth and young adults when developing guidelines to manage similar situations in the future and to increase resilience
Pleasure and suffering in the work of palliative oncology nurses: A reflective discursive presentation
No full textIn palliative care, nursing work is characterized by the concept of suffering as nurses cope with not only the death of patients, but also challenges with interacting with families. This suffering however, if offset by the concept of pleasure, as patients find meaning in illness, pain, and in the acceptance of death as a natural process, which generates pleasure. This reflective discursive presentation is based on the theoretical framework of Dejours’ psychodynamics of work and highlights the area of palliative oncology nursing as a source of suffering and pleasure. The daily life of palliative oncology nurses, subjectivity at work, and constant interactions between psychic, social, individual, and collective factors are discussed. In their clinical practice, palliative oncology nurses break with the prescribed way of engaging in care while building on various meanings of work that transforms and is also transformed. Considerations related to the need for teaching and research activities to examine pleasure and suffering in palliative oncology nursing is presented
Exploring educators’ perception of issues involving Planetary Health: A qualitative study in the Brazilian Amazon: RESEARCH PAPER
No full textBackground: Planetary Health is a transdisciplinary area that needs to be part of the curriculum of students at all levels of education, starting from basic education with early childhood education. The present work aims to discuss the perceptions of basic education teachers from a riverside school on Planetary Health issues, in addition to knowing the environmental context of communities and/or riverside schools in the Brazilian State of Amazonas. Methods: The data collection was done through semi-structured interviews with rural education teachers from the south of the state of Amazonas. For the data analysis, we opted for the content analysis (Bardin, 2009) with the support of the N-Vivo software - version 1.5. Results: The results indicated the main environmental problems related to anthropogenic actions in the community and school, in which the following questions stood out: garbage disposal in the river, mineral extraction, lack of basic sanitation, and the predominance of ultra-processed foods in school meals. On the other hand, teachers pointed out the great potential of rural schools to promote the consciousness of children and adolescents on Planetary Health themes. Conclusion: Primary school teachers in rural Amazonia are in contact with a rich source for the creation of teaching materials on PH for students, in view of the importance of the inclusion of PH themes in the formative trajectory of children and adolescents in the basic education curriculum. These experiences provide knowledge about the reality of riverside schools, local traditional issues, environmental sustainability, and the changes occurring in ecosystems, especially in the Amazon