FEMINIST METHODOLOGIES IN PRACTICE: A case of community filmmaking in Sweden
(2021) SIMV21 20211Graduate School
Master of Science in Social Studies of Gender
- Abstract
- This thesis explores the intersections between social science and filmmaking practice through engaging with community filmmaking practice in Sweden. The main area of interest is to explore how feminist theory and methodology in social science can inform discussions in documentary filmmaking practice, both aiming to transform the oppressive narratives and empower voices from marginalized and minority communities. It employs feminist standpoint theory, feminist postcolonial theory, theory of reflexivity, and feminist ethics of care to investigate the ways some of the concepts and values expressed in these theories are reflected in the community filmmaking practice. In order to examine the argument that feminist methodology can contribute to... (More)
- This thesis explores the intersections between social science and filmmaking practice through engaging with community filmmaking practice in Sweden. The main area of interest is to explore how feminist theory and methodology in social science can inform discussions in documentary filmmaking practice, both aiming to transform the oppressive narratives and empower voices from marginalized and minority communities. It employs feminist standpoint theory, feminist postcolonial theory, theory of reflexivity, and feminist ethics of care to investigate the ways some of the concepts and values expressed in these theories are reflected in the community filmmaking practice. In order to examine the argument that feminist methodology can contribute to re-imagining documentary filmmaking practice this thesis first discusses the ways filmmakers understand and engage with concepts of reflexivity, politics of location, and ethics in relation to the filmmaking process. Furthermore, the thesis discusses concrete practices employed by filmmakers as examples of successful application principles of feminist methodologies in the filmmaking process. Finally, it is concluded that emancipatory filmmaking practices outlined in this thesis can be a valuable contribution to attempts to decolonize filmmaking practices and contribute to a more equal and just documentary filmmaking landscape. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- The urgency for transforming the problematic aspects of documentary film is mirrored in contemporary film discussions, as demonstrated at the latest, and most influential documentary film festivals and conferences. The Berlinale- Berlin film festival continuously includes discussions on decolonization, inclusivity, and equality in their festival program(Berlinale-Berlin International Film Festival, 2021). IDA – International documentary association also highlights topics of intersectionality and filmmaking, re-imagining documentary interviewing through feminist and post-colonial lenses, and emphasizes the importance of location and positionality in documentary filmmaking(International Documentary Association – IDA, 2020). In a general... (More)
- The urgency for transforming the problematic aspects of documentary film is mirrored in contemporary film discussions, as demonstrated at the latest, and most influential documentary film festivals and conferences. The Berlinale- Berlin film festival continuously includes discussions on decolonization, inclusivity, and equality in their festival program(Berlinale-Berlin International Film Festival, 2021). IDA – International documentary association also highlights topics of intersectionality and filmmaking, re-imagining documentary interviewing through feminist and post-colonial lenses, and emphasizes the importance of location and positionality in documentary filmmaking(International Documentary Association – IDA, 2020). In a general sense, decolonizing cinema means finding new ways of making films, including filmmakers from diverse backgrounds within the filmmaking landscape, which also means that different themes, from diverse perspectives, are included in filmmaking. The importance of positionality and location in filmmaking means that it is necessary for filmmakers and other film professionals to understand that whatever films are made, are unique perspectives influenced by particular filmmakers’ experience and biography, and are not representative of everybody’s experience. This also means that filmmakers, especially documentary filmmakers, need to be careful when they decide to tell stories that are not a part of their experience because they might not be able to understand the story well enough to represent it through film.
All of these topics that are discussed within cinema have also been of interest to social science for decades. For example, feminist theory and practice have offered some solutions to the same problems within social science. In this thesis, it is argued that some of these solutions in feminist methodology can be applied to documentary filmmaking practice, and help make documentary films more inclusive and equal. Some of the concepts already mentioned, like intersectionality and de-colonialization are the same concepts started or developed by feminist theorists and scholars. Through interviews conducted with documentary filmmakers in Sweden, this thesis demonstrates several different ways through which feminist principles and solutions can be successfully applied in practice. For example, as one of the solutions, it is suggested that it is useful for filmmakers to include the participants of the films in the filmmaking process so that they can be involved in telling their own stories. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9065168
- author
- Dzemailovic, Berina LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SIMV21 20211
- year
- 2021
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Feminist methodology, Community filmmaking, Reflexivity, Politics of Location, Ethics.
- language
- Unknown
- id
- 9065168
- date added to LUP
- 2021-09-14 15:24:13
- date last changed
- 2021-09-14 15:24:13
@misc{9065168,
abstract = {{This thesis explores the intersections between social science and filmmaking practice through engaging with community filmmaking practice in Sweden. The main area of interest is to explore how feminist theory and methodology in social science can inform discussions in documentary filmmaking practice, both aiming to transform the oppressive narratives and empower voices from marginalized and minority communities. It employs feminist standpoint theory, feminist postcolonial theory, theory of reflexivity, and feminist ethics of care to investigate the ways some of the concepts and values expressed in these theories are reflected in the community filmmaking practice. In order to examine the argument that feminist methodology can contribute to re-imagining documentary filmmaking practice this thesis first discusses the ways filmmakers understand and engage with concepts of reflexivity, politics of location, and ethics in relation to the filmmaking process. Furthermore, the thesis discusses concrete practices employed by filmmakers as examples of successful application principles of feminist methodologies in the filmmaking process. Finally, it is concluded that emancipatory filmmaking practices outlined in this thesis can be a valuable contribution to attempts to decolonize filmmaking practices and contribute to a more equal and just documentary filmmaking landscape.}},
author = {{Dzemailovic, Berina}},
language = {{und}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{FEMINIST METHODOLOGIES IN PRACTICE: A case of community filmmaking in Sweden}},
year = {{2021}},
}