Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Mason Leaver: My article analyzes the Romanian New Wave, and Romanian attitudes toward the police by examining two films: Police, Adjective, and Pororoca. Specifically, it takes a look at how Romanian directors see their present authority structures as being a remnant of the communist structures that were “destroyed” after the Romanian revolution. I also briefly compare the outlook of Romanian cinema with the outlook of Prisoners, an American film, to show the stark contrast in our nations’ cinemas.
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
ML: I started by looking at the digital academic journals that I had access to from my university, by searching keywords like “Romanian Cinema” or “Romanian New Wave.” I knew that I wanted to talk about authority structures in Romania, so I focused on articles that addressed those topics. I also read some of the most famous articles on the Romanian New Wave, and many of them addressed this cynicism toward authority.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
ML: I originally wrote this article as my final paper for a class called “Methods and Issues in Film Studies.” Stuff and Dough (2001) marks the start of the New Wave for many theorists, so our class focused on writing these papers as a celebration of the New Wave’s twentieth anniversary. I was fascinated by America’s own recent reexamination of our relationship with the police, and I found many of these themes were echoed in the work of the Romanian New Wave. Because of this, I decided to examine how Romanians view the Romanian police force.
FM: How have your personal experiences shaped and influenced your writing?
ML: In my writing, especially at Cinemablography, I have a heavy emphasis on philosophy in film, which has come from taking a double major in film and philosophy. While this article doesn’t address any particular philosopher, I still enjoyed focusing on the philosophy of a nation, and on the concept of justice in Police, Adjective. My philosophy professor Dr. Schoettle has definitely helped me to incorporate philosophy into my film writing, and likewise, film in my philosophy writing.
FM: What aspects of the writing process were most challenging? Why?
ML: Honestly, it was probably just the time-crunch of finals season. This was definitely a big project, which involved watching a large number of films to determine which I’d write about, reading scholarly articles on the New Wave, and coming up with a few drafts of the paper. Fitting that all into a fairly narrow window of time was very challenging.
FM: What do you enjoy most about your article?
ML: I’m really happy to have included Pororoca. It’s a great film, and it doesn’t seem to be getting much attention in the literature on the Romanian New Wave. Examining this smaller film alongside Police, Adjective, which is very commonly discussed in the New Wave literature, was really rewarding, because it felt like I was contributing new criticism.
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
ML: The peer reviewing process definitely forced me to take my article to a higher level of academic value. Dr. Cilento, my faculty mentor, forced me to really narrow in on the heart of my paper. He also pushed back and challenged some of the points I make in the paper, and forced me to strengthen those arguments. That said, it’s been such a rewarding process to get this paper to a professional level.
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?
ML: I think that any American reader would benefit from reading my paper and watching the films I analyze. My hope would be that people could watch these films and do the hard work of examining our own power structures, recognizing the influences of the past on our current situation. At the same time, it’s just a blessing to be able to draw attention to the Romanian New Wave, which is a film movement that I’ve become obsessed with as I’ve researched for this paper. My hope is that other film lovers could come to appreciate the movement as much as I do.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
ML: Messiah University has definitely contributed to my understanding of film production and film appreciation. Many of my production classes have given me a deep understanding of filmmaking and the creative process involved. Messiah also has a program called Lost Films, which presents films for the student body each week. Finally, Messiah’s Splice Film Festival has been a great way to showcase my work.
FM: How have your faculty mentors fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
ML: Dr. Cilento’s influence and impact on my understanding and appreciation of film scholarship cannot be overstated. Dr. Cilento has been a massive blessing in my life, as he’s provided opportunity after opportunity for me to challenge myself in going further in my academics and scholarship. Dr. Cilento has allowed me to be deeply involved in shaping the future of the film blog Cinemablography, which has been a great way to expand and develop my own criticism style. Dr. Cilento has also encouraged me to pursue my academic journey further by attending graduate school, and has been instrumental in helping me to decide where I might want to go. To Dr. Cilento: Thank you for helping me to love film more deeply.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank one of my academic advisors, Dr. Tim Schoettle. Dr. Schoettle encouraged me to take a philosophy double major, and has consistently encouraged and challenged me to further my academic skills. Dr. Schoettle is also deeply versed in film knowledge, and has encouraged me to synthesize film and philosophy in my papers and projects. His classes on Existentialism, Aesthetics, and Phenomenology have all been influential in my understanding of art and film. Dr. Schoettle has consistently been an encouraging, kind, and fun professor. To Dr. Schoettle: Thank you for helping me to love learning, and for teaching me how to incorporate many academic fields into my work.
FM: What advice do you have for undergraduate film and media scholars?
ML: I’d recommend that a new film and media scholar begin their academic journey by learning about many other topics. A love of learning is essential to good film criticism. Being able to synthesize various ideas and theories into your criticism and scholarship is essential to being a good writer and a good thinker. Indeed, the ability to incorporate many interesting ideas in a unique way is also the mark of a great filmmaker.
FM: What are your future plans?
ML: I hope to attend graduate school in order to further my film scholarship.
Author Biography
Mason Leaver is a student at Messiah University, where he studies Film and Philosophy. He is the assistant editor of the film blog Cinemablography, where he writes about philosophy in film and auteur theory. He is also the Lost Films Executive at Messiah University, where he curates film screenings for the student body.
