‘Those films most likely to circulate transnationally are those that are more ‘Western friendly’, adopting familiar genres, narratives of themes in their hybrid productions’ Custom Essay

QUESTION: ‘Those films most likely to circulate transnationally are those that are more ‘Western friendly’, adopting familiar genres, narratives of themes

in their hybrid productions’ … They function as what Jigme Desai calls, ‘tasty, easily swallowed, apolitical global cultural morsels’ (Desai 45, 90) – in

other words, cinematic McNuggets’ (Ezra & Rowden p. 6) What factors do you think determine the positive reception (or otherwise) of a ‘transnational’

or ‘global’ film? Discuss this in light of some of the theory and films mentioned in the course.

For the major essay you will be required to formulate a response (maximum length 2000 words) to a question according to your interests which demonstrates

an understanding of one or more of the central concepts from the course, as well as being able to apply these to specific films (both from the course and

outside of it). Students will have the option of formulating their own questions (in consultation with their tutor) or responding to more guided questions

released well before the assignment is due. Please submit your esssay (including your final abstract) to TURNITIN.

Assessment criteria:

Evidence of research and reading (critical engagement with our specific curriculum: films, lectures, tutorials readings).
Demonstrate further research beyond the course (minimum of 5 further articles/monographs)
Demonstrate critical engagement with some of the central concepts and theory of the course and be able to apply these to your film examples.
Present a clearly structured paper and well-supported argument.
Adequate referencing.

REFERENCES :

Lecture & Tutorial Topic:

“Having four Aboriginal women on the big screen is political.” – Tony Briggs, Co-writer and Associate producer, The Sapphires, Melbourne International Film

Festival, July 2012

This week we look at National Indigenous Television (NITV) and the role that it’s played in nurturing young talent and in providing alternative viewing

options for our public to the commercial broadcasters. NITV emerged out of twenty years of a successful, but highly dispersed, grass-roots media system

with regional control. In addition to looking at a number of short clips, our main screening this week will be the top grossing Australian film of 2012,

The Sapphires, which took $14.5 million at the box office. Based on a stage play of the same name, the film received a 10-minute standing ovation at

Cannes.

In tutes and lectures, we will look at questions such as, how can Indigenous media play a greater role in the Australian public sphere? Can locally

controlled media offer national narratives? Where does industry development begin and end? Do you think portraying indigenous characters on screen is still

‘box office poison’, as Fred Schepisi once claimed after he released his landmark film, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978). We’ll also examine some of

the issues that Therese Davis raises in her short paper on the way in which students regard indigenous films. And why is having four Aboriginal women on

the big screen political, as Tony Briggs, the co-writer and associate producer of The Sapphires, claims?

This week we profile the career of transnational film director Mira Nair. You may have seen her latest film, The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012), that has

just finished a season at Dendy. In this lecture (and tutes) we look at two of her earlier films, Salaam Bombay! and Monsoon Wedding which present two

sides of India that are in stark opposition. Salaam Bombay! depicts a brief moment in the life a little boy, ‘Chaipau’ who lives on the streets and in the

brothels of Bombay. In contrast Monsoon Wedding takes place in New Delhi when a group of middle class NRIs (non-resident Indians) from a large Punjabi

family return for a wedding. MW became one of the highest grossing foreign films in the US and won the Golden Lion at Venice but lost the Oscar nomination

to Lagaan (Desai 2004, 213).

To what extent do you think Nair’s cinematic representation of Indian subalterns in Salaam Bombay! is ‘touristic’ and ‘voyeuristic’ (Naficy 2001, p. 69)?

In comparison to Salaam Bombay, how are societal divisions (class, gender, generational) manifested in Monsoon Wedding? What role does colour, lighting and

sound play in representing these divisions? What does Hamid Naficy mean by the term ‘accented cinema’? Do you agree with Patricia Uberoi’s claim that this

film was successful because it did not display the vulgarity associated with commercial Bollywood made for working class Indians.