The Death of a Cinephile? Performing Identity and Cultural Capital in the Online Film Community of Letterboxd
(2025) MKVM13 20251Media and Communication Studies
Department of Communication and Media
- Abstract
- This thesis investigates the evolution of cinephilia in the digital age through a case study of Letterboxd, a popular and culturally significant yet understudied social platform dedicated to film logging, reviewing and film discussion. Grounded in theories from film studies, this thesis adds a necessary media and communication perspective to explore how contemporary cinephile identity is performed, negotiated and shaped by platform-specific practices and community dynamics. This thesis draws from Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital as well as frameworks of mediatisation and participatory culture to position digital cinephilia as a reconfigured cultural practice, entangled with technological infrastructure and the democratisation... (More)
- This thesis investigates the evolution of cinephilia in the digital age through a case study of Letterboxd, a popular and culturally significant yet understudied social platform dedicated to film logging, reviewing and film discussion. Grounded in theories from film studies, this thesis adds a necessary media and communication perspective to explore how contemporary cinephile identity is performed, negotiated and shaped by platform-specific practices and community dynamics. This thesis draws from Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital as well as frameworks of mediatisation and participatory culture to position digital cinephilia as a reconfigured cultural practice, entangled with technological infrastructure and the democratisation of cultural authority. This project adapts a user-centred approach and, through qualitative research design, offers a nuanced account of how users engage with Letterboxd both as a social network and a space for taste and identity negotiation. This thesis triangulates semi-structured qualitative interviews and elements of media go-along conducted with 11 active Letterboxd users.
The findings reveal that while traditional cinephilia was tied to material and intellectual exclusivity, individuality and elitism, its digital form on Letterboxd is more participatory, affective, performative and collective. This study argues that rather than signalling the end of cultural capital, it is now accumulated through platform-specific practices and networked visibility. Acts like writing reviews, rating films or curating lists make new forms of value and legitimacy within digital film communities. Letterboxd democratisises access to cinephilic discourse, but it does not eliminate hierarchies. They are reshaped through peer interaction, validation and a participatory feedback mechanism. This thesis ultimately repositions cinephilia as a fluid identity and socially negotiated practices embedded within the rhythms and rituals of Letterboxd. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9188738
- author
- Brania, Aleksandra Maria LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MKVM13 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Letterboxd, Digital Cinephilia, Cultural Capital, Identity Performance, Film Communities, Participatory Culture
- language
- English
- id
- 9188738
- date added to LUP
- 2025-07-03 16:26:07
- date last changed
- 2025-07-03 16:26:07
@misc{9188738,
abstract = {{This thesis investigates the evolution of cinephilia in the digital age through a case study of Letterboxd, a popular and culturally significant yet understudied social platform dedicated to film logging, reviewing and film discussion. Grounded in theories from film studies, this thesis adds a necessary media and communication perspective to explore how contemporary cinephile identity is performed, negotiated and shaped by platform-specific practices and community dynamics. This thesis draws from Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital as well as frameworks of mediatisation and participatory culture to position digital cinephilia as a reconfigured cultural practice, entangled with technological infrastructure and the democratisation of cultural authority. This project adapts a user-centred approach and, through qualitative research design, offers a nuanced account of how users engage with Letterboxd both as a social network and a space for taste and identity negotiation. This thesis triangulates semi-structured qualitative interviews and elements of media go-along conducted with 11 active Letterboxd users.
The findings reveal that while traditional cinephilia was tied to material and intellectual exclusivity, individuality and elitism, its digital form on Letterboxd is more participatory, affective, performative and collective. This study argues that rather than signalling the end of cultural capital, it is now accumulated through platform-specific practices and networked visibility. Acts like writing reviews, rating films or curating lists make new forms of value and legitimacy within digital film communities. Letterboxd democratisises access to cinephilic discourse, but it does not eliminate hierarchies. They are reshaped through peer interaction, validation and a participatory feedback mechanism. This thesis ultimately repositions cinephilia as a fluid identity and socially negotiated practices embedded within the rhythms and rituals of Letterboxd.}},
author = {{Brania, Aleksandra Maria}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The Death of a Cinephile? Performing Identity and Cultural Capital in the Online Film Community of Letterboxd}},
year = {{2025}},
}