Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Qingyang Zhou: My article uses the theory of flâneur, developed by Charles Baudelaire and Walter Benjamin, to analyze the relationship between poetry, the urban landscape, and driving in American independent film director Jim Jarmusch’s film Paterson (2016).
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
QZ: The theory of flânerie is widely used in the interpretation of literature and film. In my article, I discussed how Baudelaire and Benjamin’s ideas of the flâneur are strikingly similar to the actions of Jarmusch’s protagonist, by engaging in close comparisons and in-depth scene analyses. While adhering to the theorists, I discussed how Jarmusch introduces changes to the traditional concept and readapts it to the contemporary American context, thus allowing his strong personal visions to shine through.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
QZ: I originally wrote this article for a class on American independent cinema, taught by my favorite film studies mentor, Dr. Meta Mazaj. I was fascinated by Jarmusch’s Stranger Than Paradise, which we watched in class, and I wanted to analyze his then-newest film, Paterson, which hadn’t received much published scholarship yet. The process of doing research on the theory was extremely difficult, since Benjamin was a prolific writer who published at least twenty huge volumes on a wide variety of topics, and sifting through useful information for my article took me a tremendous amount of time. I was therefore exhilarated upon completing the project and having it published by Film Matters.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
QZ: The University of Pennsylvania’s Cinema and Media Studies department offered me ideal training through its diverse course offerings on auteur studies and film theory. When I presented my research project in class, I also benefited from insightful comments from my peers, whose intellectual rigor and encouragements pushed me to approach my topic with diligence and perseverance.
FM: Has your faculty mentor fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
QZ: Absolutely! I took two other courses with Professor Mazaj besides American independent cinema: global film theory and romantic comedy. She has seen my continuous growth as a film scholar throughout my undergraduate career, and she became my senior thesis advisor in 2019. Her precise, invaluable comments on earlier drafts of my papers have allowed me to engage in self-criticism and intellectual improvement. Without her kind support and sustaining guidance during the last few years, I would not have become the aspiring film scholar I am today.
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
QZ: I am very grateful for the peer reviewers’ extremely helpful comments on the paper’s strengths and weaknesses. Their opinions allowed me to read my article from a new angle and hone my analytic skills. In addition, going through the editorial process allowed me an early glimpse into the conventions of academic publication, which will be indispensable in my future career in academia.
FM: What audience do you hope to reach with your Film Matters article and/or what impact do you hope it has on the field of film studies?
QZ: I would like my article to reach fellow young cineastes, people who are interested in poetry and literary theory, as well as Jim Jarmusch and Adam Driver fans. Since there is little academic publication on Paterson, I hope my paper could be a jumpstart on research about this film.
FM: What are your future plans?
QZ: In fall 2020, I began my studies at the University of California, Berkeley, to pursue a PhD degree in German, with an emphasis on Film and Media. My research focuses on the intersections of German-Asian cultures, particularly as they pertain to the interactions among the film industries of East/West Germany, China, and North/South Korea during the Cold War and beyond. I am excited to contribute to a nascent field of Asian German Studies and join academia!
Author Biography
Qingyang Zhou graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in May 2020 with majors in Cinema and Media Studies, German, and Contemporary Literature. She is currently a PhD candidate in German Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on East Asian-German connections in film and media.
