Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Saveria Amicucci: I’m a big fan of Zacharias Kunuk, and my article began as my attempt to articulate what drew me to his films. I think it’s fascinating how his film style is so tied to his culture, how he’s essentially playing with form to express Inuit culture in a way that defies mainstream representation.
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
SA: My article is an effort to combine Brechtian and Indigenous film theory, using those two frameworks to analyze how Inuit cinema functions within a broader cultural context.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
SA: I initially wrote this article for a class on contemporary film theory with Dr. Russell Kilbourn.
FM: What aspects of the writing process were most challenging? Why?
SA: The most challenging aspect has been making sure to maintain a respectful tone. I’m writing about a culture I’m not a part of, one that’s been historically devalued, and I didn’t want to contribute to that historic devaluation, especially while trying to celebrate a unique film!
FM: What do you enjoy most about your article?
SA: I most enjoy my close reading of the film’s reflexive editing techniques.
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
SA: The editorial process has helped me gain a deeper understanding of my paper. As part of the peer review process, I received some contradictory suggestions, and I had to think long and hard about the type of paper I was trying to write before I could begin to address that feedback.
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?
SA: I think some really interesting things are being done by Inuit filmmakers, but unfortunately these films aren’t reaching a very wide audience in Canada, let alone the rest of the world. My hope with this article is to give people a taste of what directors like Kunuk and Cohn have to offer, encourage them to seek out these films and see for themselves.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
SA: I’ve always loved movies—who doesn’t?—but I don’t think I ever watched a film critically before beginning my post-secondary studies. Wilfrid Laurier University’s film program really opened my eyes, and gave me the tools I needed for a deeper engagement with film.
FM: How has your faculty mentor fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
SA: I’ve always viewed my work with a vague sense of embarrassment—it felt perfunctory, a required step to get a degree that I was sorry to subject my teachers to. I was surprised by Dr. Kilbourn’s positive response to my paper, and I’ve really appreciated his encouragement to try to get it published, as that isn’t something I would have thought to do on my own.
FM: What advice do you have for undergraduate film and media scholars?
SA: My advice is to look outside your comfort zone. There are so many excellent films out there that haven’t found their audience yet, and they’re all just waiting to be written about.
FM: What are your future plans?
SA: I began working on a graduate degree at Wilfrid Laurier University sometime after submitting this article, and hope to pursue an industry career once that is completed.
Author Biography
Saveria Amicucci is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University’s Film Studies BA program. An aspiring screenwriter, she has a passion for storytelling, and for understanding the different ways that stories are told. Her research interests include film history and genre studies, with a focus on Canadian national film movements and westerns.
