Visual Histories: Amateur Film in New Zealand c.1923-1970

<p>Many ordinary New Zealanders made amateur films between c.1923-1970. This thesis explores the types of films they made; home movies, community films and films made by members of amateur cine clubs. The discussion focuses on the making, showing and viewing of each of these types of films. Some were shown in private home or club situations, while other films were shown publicly. As a group of films and film practises they offer a valuable source of information on social and cultural history. Their construction differs from orthodox professional film and offers important alternate views of New Zealand society. The sub-genre of amateur film are numerous. Films discussed include newsreels and scripted narrative drama made by amateur cine club members either working alone or in groups. Others under discussion are local films, political films, mountaineering films, educational, instructional and promotional film. The influences on amateur filmmaking are considered: camera company marketing and amateur film manuals, the international amateur film movement and the competition focused cine club culture. The thesis uses four main collections to discuss aspects of amateur filmmaking. These are the films of James Osler of Wairoa, Frederick Thorn of Waiuta, Amos James Smith of Rangiora and Nancy Cameron of Whanganui, all held at the New Zealand Film Archive, Wellington.</p>

Visual Histories: Amateur Film in New Zealand c.1923-1970

<p>Many ordinary New Zealanders made amateur films between c.1923-1970. This thesis explores the types of films they made; home movies, community films and films made by members of amateur cine clubs. The discussion focuses on the making, showing and viewing of each of these types of films. Some were shown in private home or club situations, while other films were shown publicly. As a group of films and film practises they offer a valuable source of information on social and cultural history. Their construction differs from orthodox professional film and offers important alternate views of New Zealand society. The sub-genre of amateur film are numerous. Films discussed include newsreels and scripted narrative drama made by amateur cine club members either working alone or in groups. Others under discussion are local films, political films, mountaineering films, educational, instructional and promotional film. The influences on amateur filmmaking are considered: camera company marketing and amateur film manuals, the international amateur film movement and the competition focused cine club culture. The thesis uses four main collections to discuss aspects of amateur filmmaking. These are the films of James Osler of Wairoa, Frederick Thorn of Waiuta, Amos James Smith of Rangiora and Nancy Cameron of Whanganui, all held at the New Zealand Film Archive, Wellington.</p>

The Relationship Between Implicitly Political Films and Political Polarization

Throughout history, art has played a vast role in both culture and activism. With the United States having a booming film industry centered in the heart of Los Angeles and spreading all across the country, it is hard to believe that such a huge cultural phenomenon does not impact the viewpoints of United States voters and their decision making at the polls. This study dives into that impact, looking at both quantitative and qualitative research, trying to uncover the influence that implicitly political films have on political polarization and answer the question: what is the relationship between implicitly political feature films released between 2009 and 2019 and political polarization in the United States? The quantitative research of this study exposed a correlation between the year of the presidency and the number of successful implicitly political films that were released per year. The qualitative surveys from this study uncovered that teenagers today do not feel particularly influenced by the movies that they watched growing up, therefore suggesting that if implicitly political films have any effect on political decision making, it is at the subconscious level. As times change and technology improves, it seems that there is no limit to the extent of influence. It is important to understand this influence and its implications before it is too late.

The Transformation of Political Cinema in Turkey since the 1960s: A Change of Discourse

This chapter analyzes the transformation of political films in Turkey from the 1960s to the late 2010s. With the repression of labor movements after the 1980 military coup and parallel to neoliberal developments around the world, political cinema in Turkey changed dramatically. Earlier films, though in limited numbers, displayed overt political Marxist messages and, similar to radical political film movements of the time, aimed to move the audience to take action against exploitation. In comparison, in the absence of organized movements and under an oppressive political environment for a large part of the four decades since the 1980 military coup, more contemporary films have been political by displaying the lack of solidarity and struggle against that oppression. Accordingly, films with direct political messages aiming to move audiences to action are replaced with those exposing the shortcomings of the system with their portrayal of individuals squeezed in an existentialist impasse. As such, films, even the rare ones that aim to address contemporary sociopolitical issues, are now focused on the state of inability to express one’s self or criticize. The chapter focuses on films of Yılmaz Güney, the most prominent Turkish filmmaker, writings of Young Cinema members in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and films of Nuri Bilge Ceylan, a leading figure in contemporary Turkish cinema, with a particular focus on Ahlat Ağacı (2018) to analyze the evolution of political filmmaking in Turkey.

Pereira dos Santos, Nelson (1928--)

Nelson Pereira dos Santos (born in 1928 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian actor, screenwriter, film critic and theorist, producer, and director. He can be considered the initiator of modern Brazilian cinema. His first feature, Rio: 40 Graus [Rio 100 Degrees F.] (1955), jump-started the cinema nôvo [New Cinema] movement that would dominate Brazilian vanguard cinema throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. Throughout more than fifty years of filmmaking, Pereira dos Santos has continued to shape the Brazilian screen. Como Era Gostoso o Meu Francês [How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman] (1971) is his most internationally known film; a departure from his earlier neorealist style, it started a more self-critical phase that reflects on the instability of all ideologies and registers the disappointment with the left in Brazil following the onset of the military dictatorship in 1964. The late 1970s films attempted to create what he called a popular cinema, rejected theoretical treatment, and sought to convey the views of ordinary citizens. He has continued to be an influential filmmaker in the so-called New Brazilian Cinema of the 1990s and today, with political films such as Brasilia 18% (2006). The majority of his films are based on literary adaptations from Brazilian authors. Since 2006 he have been a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters—the first filmmaker to be nominated.