Imagining Geographies of films

Abstract

Da die Geographie des Films mittlerweile erwachsen geworden ist, ist es an der Zeit, nicht mehr nur fachspezifische Fragen zu erörtern, sondern bestehende theoretische Grenzen auszuweiten. Geographischem Interesse für das Thema Film fehlt häufig die notwendige kritische Perspektive; Hauptaugenmerk liegt bislang auf dem geographischen Realismus der Filme und weniger auf der Art und Weise, wie diese Bedeutung erzeugen. Geographen sollten durch den Einsatz räumlicher Theorien Einblicke erarbeiten, die über die reine Repräsentation filmischen Raums hinausreicht und vielmehr materielle Niederschläge lebensweltlicher Erfahrung und alltägliche soziale Praktiken in den Fokus rücken. Mit diesem Essay fordern wir mehr kritische Filmgeographien. Indem wir dieser Forderung nachkommen, beobachten wir, wie eine Reihe traditioneller und auftauchender geographischer Betätigungsfelder-Landschaft, Raum/Räumlichkeiten, Mobilität, Maßstab und Netzwerke-neu bewertet werden müssen und auf diese Weise nicht nur Disziplingrenzen der Geographie ausweiten, sondern auch die der Filmwissenschaften. Summary: To the extent that the geographic study of film has come of age, it is important to not only tie it to disciplinary issues but also to push theoretical boundaries. Geographic concern is often lacking a critical perspective, focusing primarily on the geographic realism of films rather than how they produce meaning. Geographers needed to elaborate insights through critical spatial theories, so that our studies are not only about filmic representations of space but are also about the material conditions of lived experience and everyday social practices. With this essay, we argue for more critical film geographies. In doing so, we note how a series of traditional and emergent geographic 'primitives'-landscapes, spaces/spatialities, mobilities, scales and networks-are reappraised and push disciplinary boundaries for geography and film studies in general.

Over 50 Years on Culture’s Service? Intercultural Competence and the Representation of Foreign Realities in James Bond Films

“…In some way, the spectator is shown intercultural competence on the basis of a superficial but exemplified vision that is expressed mostly through western post-colonial foreign constructs with power asymmetries (Fabian, 1986) whereby the underlying differences between collectives always remain deprived to him behind the exclusive movie pictures. We have to envision the power of filmic representations in their influence on individual and collective perceptions (Aitken & Dixon, 2006;Bardhan, 2011;Barmeyer & Scheffer, 2013;Lukinbeal, 2004) and especially reinforce the fact that the global distribution of James Bond movies, where, according to polls, at least half of the world population know of him (Chapman, 2007, p. 13), supports intercultural development in a limited fashion. While they do indeed arouse a sense of curiosity for exotic locales, this is however achieved at the price of a radical toning down of the problems that are faced in interaction situations, which really do determine everyday lives.…”

Anime Landscapes as a Tool for Analyzing the Human–Environment Relationship: Hayao Miyazaki Films

“…Aitken (1991), with a transactional approach, has focused on the dynamics of person-environment relationships in filmic landscapes. Similarly, Aitken and Dixon (2006) aimed to push disciplinary boundaries for geography and film studies by discussing the roles of filmic landscape in detail, as either a medium, actor, work or doing work (Aitken and Dixon 2006). From architecture to geography and cultural studies, scholarly interest in filmic landscapes is becoming widespread, and the number of publications is steadily increasing.…”

Imagining coastal change: reflections on making a film

“…This is changing from moving image interpretation, to a more practical sense of film making including some involvement in making films. 13 In this essay we have documented our experiences of making a short film about a particular type of place, in collaboration with a creative studio. We have reflected on the medium as part of a larger field of multi-media practice and enquiry, including various forms of text and picture making, and some traditional geographical methods like map making and field walking and talking.…”