Representation of Collective Memory and Nationalism Propaganda in a Contemporary Chinese Film
(2021) MKVM13 20211Media and Communication Studies
Department of Communication and Media
- Abstract
- This thesis focuses on the critical exploration of compositional modality on the film representation of collective memory and imagined nationalism construction in contemporary Chinese context. It aims at a further understanding of the surrounding societal and political contexts in the contribution of nationalism propaganda. Guided by the critical visual methodology proposed by Rose (2016), this research examines four sites of visuals (production, visual material itself, circulation and audiencing, with the site of visual material itself prioritized). This thesis also considers three modalities (technological, compositional and social, with a focus on the last two) through a case study of a feature film entitled My People, My Country (2019)... (More)
- This thesis focuses on the critical exploration of compositional modality on the film representation of collective memory and imagined nationalism construction in contemporary Chinese context. It aims at a further understanding of the surrounding societal and political contexts in the contribution of nationalism propaganda. Guided by the critical visual methodology proposed by Rose (2016), this research examines four sites of visuals (production, visual material itself, circulation and audiencing, with the site of visual material itself prioritized). This thesis also considers three modalities (technological, compositional and social, with a focus on the last two) through a case study of a feature film entitled My People, My Country (2019) (我和我的祖国). The strategic choice of this case study is due to
its omnibus narration and distinctly industrial, political and societal context. This film has shown its ability as a feasible case to explore the contemporary Chinese films in terms of representation of collective memory and nationalism propaganda.
With the exploration of the site of visual material itself has been prioritized in this thesis, this research has applied scene/clip analysis with combined methods of film clips analysis (Ledin & Machin, 2018) and compositional interpretation (Rose, 2016). Beyond that, this thesis also investigates the ‘myths’ of the ideas and values that visual components stand for. It has drawn on the method of semiotics, particularly Barthes’ understanding on ‘denotation’ and ‘connotation’ (Hansen & Machin, 2019, p.169; Barthes, 1967).
As is shown in the findings, this thesis argues that the ways of representation of collective memory can be found through the ‘truth’ in the construction of film verisimilitude, as well as the representation of mediated experience in order to evoke memory largely to a collective level. It further expounds that nationalism propaganda is embedded in both perspectives of communication and society (Corner, 2011), from communicating nationalism to projecting nationalism. This research project has contributed to the study of the empirical and conceptual relations between collective memory, nationalism propaganda and the form of media (film, in this case), with a focus on both compositional and social modalities. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9044187
- author
- Xia, Jingyi LU
- supervisor
-
- Zaki Habibi LU
- organization
- course
- MKVM13 20211
- year
- 2021
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- collective memory, imagined nationalism, film and propaganda, representation, contemporary China, Chinese film ecology, ‘paying-tribute’ film 2
- language
- English
- id
- 9044187
- date added to LUP
- 2021-06-09 08:15:15
- date last changed
- 2021-06-09 08:15:15
@misc{9044187,
abstract = {{This thesis focuses on the critical exploration of compositional modality on the film representation of collective memory and imagined nationalism construction in contemporary Chinese context. It aims at a further understanding of the surrounding societal and political contexts in the contribution of nationalism propaganda. Guided by the critical visual methodology proposed by Rose (2016), this research examines four sites of visuals (production, visual material itself, circulation and audiencing, with the site of visual material itself prioritized). This thesis also considers three modalities (technological, compositional and social, with a focus on the last two) through a case study of a feature film entitled My People, My Country (2019) (我和我的祖国). The strategic choice of this case study is due to
its omnibus narration and distinctly industrial, political and societal context. This film has shown its ability as a feasible case to explore the contemporary Chinese films in terms of representation of collective memory and nationalism propaganda.
With the exploration of the site of visual material itself has been prioritized in this thesis, this research has applied scene/clip analysis with combined methods of film clips analysis (Ledin & Machin, 2018) and compositional interpretation (Rose, 2016). Beyond that, this thesis also investigates the ‘myths’ of the ideas and values that visual components stand for. It has drawn on the method of semiotics, particularly Barthes’ understanding on ‘denotation’ and ‘connotation’ (Hansen & Machin, 2019, p.169; Barthes, 1967).
As is shown in the findings, this thesis argues that the ways of representation of collective memory can be found through the ‘truth’ in the construction of film verisimilitude, as well as the representation of mediated experience in order to evoke memory largely to a collective level. It further expounds that nationalism propaganda is embedded in both perspectives of communication and society (Corner, 2011), from communicating nationalism to projecting nationalism. This research project has contributed to the study of the empirical and conceptual relations between collective memory, nationalism propaganda and the form of media (film, in this case), with a focus on both compositional and social modalities.}},
author = {{Xia, Jingyi}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Representation of Collective Memory and Nationalism Propaganda in a Contemporary Chinese Film}},
year = {{2021}},
}