Tensions in Representation
Illustrating Common Sense via the Arts Mediums of Film and Television: American and Russian Perspectives
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Tim Delaney, Anastasia Malakhova
In this paper, co-authors Tim Delaney and Anastasia Malakhova illustrate notions of common sense via the arts mediums of film and television in the United States and in Russia. The world of popular culture not only entertains us and reflects our cultural values and norms it provides valuable life lessons on common sense. Popular culture is generally recognized as the vernacular or people's culture that dominates any society at a given point in time. As the "culture of the people," popular culture is determined by the daily interactions between people and their everyday activities. The everyday interactions of people are also influenced by actors' perceptions of common sense as it is fairly common to hear expressions such as, "use your common sense," or "anyone with any common sense at all would've seen that coming." "Common sense" itself entails a certain level of vagueness and therefore this term will be explained as well. As the "people's culture," popular culture (e.g., film and television) is often the best medium to illustrate common sense.
Examining Class, Caste, and De-notified Tribes in Marathi Cinema
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Rutuja Deshmukh
This project proposes to look at the two Marathi films; one which won a national award and other was a huge hit which boosted the financial prospects of regional cinema further. The two films Fandry (2013) and Sairat (2016) are directed and written by Nagraj Manjule, now a popular director and writer in Marathi Film industry. In Fandry (2013), Jabya (Somnath Avghade), the film’s dark-skinned protagonist, is an awkward yet winsome teenager from a family of de-notified tribe of Kaikadi, who lives in a shack at the fringes of the village. He has a crush on Shalu, a classmate, who hails from an upper caste and relatively upper class. It is set in Akolner, a tiny village near Ahmednagar, Fandry portrays the dichotomous rural India of today, where a public toilet is a luxury but an android is nearly ubiquitous. Whereas, Sairat (2016) is the story of Parshya, a Dalit teenager, and Archie, an upper caste girl- they fall in love and facing extreme wrath from the girl’s family, finally manage to elope from their village in southeastern Maharashtra and start life afresh in the metropolitan city of Hyderabad. They are eventually found and murdered by Archie’s family. The phenomenon of Dalit filmmakers, portraying the lived experiences, in cleverly crafted cinema, which is entertaining as well, has given a direction to a Dalit-centric cinematic paradigm. This cannot be looked at as a new wave Indian cinema; this is new mainstream cinema, which packs up a local entertaining appeal to it.
“Here’s Looking at You, Kid”: The Uses of Art in Contemporary Action Genre Films
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Dena Gilby
In reviewing the film John Wick: Chapter 2, the critic Margot Harrison notes: “Most American action films would use that fine-art motif solely to establish their bad guy as an effete product of European decadence. But John Wick: Chapter 2 is a different breed. From its scenes backdropped by New York’s great bridges to its gunfight in the Roman Baths of Caracalla, the movie is as much in love with art and architecture as it is with ass kicking” (“Movie Review: Art Gets as Much Time as Action in ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’,” Seven Days: Vermont’s Independent Voice, February 15, 2017, https://goo.gl/LpNAeZ). It is not only this film that “lovingly” features art and architecture; rather, a number of recent action films possess scenes that take place in galleries, museums, or famous architectural sites. This essay explores the use of and reasons for the appearance of art in Skyfall and John Wick: Chapter 2. What is revealed is that art goes beyond acting as mere decoration; art and architecture contribute significantly to the thematic aspects of the films.
Co-production Politics: China's State-driven Film Co-production with European States and the “One Belt One Road”
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Pengnan Hu
Following its industrialisation sixteen years ago, the Chinese film industry has blossomed and China itself now constitutes the second largest film market in the world. One significant change accompanying this unprecedented expansion has been the Chinese government’s active encouragement of film exports (by co-producing) as part of its drive to augment soft power. This is closely allied to China’s most important foreign policy, known as One Belt One Road (OBOR), which aims to intensify China’s influence in Eurasia. Hence, there has been a discernible shift in emphasis from Hollywood to Europe amongst Chinese State-lead co-productions. China has not only emerged as the second largest overseas film market for European films, but also continues to gain ever greater significance in this sphere. Thus, the politics which direct China’s co-production trend deserve European filmmakers’ attention. This paper relies on an analysis of policy, co-production data and case studies of Chinese-European co-productions to make a contribution to the development of co-production endeavours between European and Chinese filmmakers by addressing the following pertinent issues: The extent to which China’s Westward-looking OBOR initiatives can be deemed to present opportunities for European filmmakers through state-driven film co-production. The ways in which China might commandeer China-Hollywood co-productions while simultaneously promoting co-productions with European Union member states. The means by which film policies, censorship and state-owned film companies can guide China’s film co-productions. The constraints existing in relation to China’s State-driven co-productions. The nature of “ideological correctness” and How does its artistic influence upon artistically influence film co-production.
