Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Chamberlain Staub: “Confronting Rural Hardship in British Cinema” argues that The Levelling and God’s Own Country are British heritage films; it is a topic that has been understudied and this article outlines how these films emphasize not only rural landscapes, but the people who maintain them. The writing praises the work of Hope Dickson Leach and Francis Lee as they weave farming traditions and folklore into authentic onscreen portrayals of modern-day farming, hardships, and the complex familial relationships present within this lifestyle.
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
CS: I analyzed a number of publications regarding mental health in farmers, the effects of environmental crises in the past decade, the history and patterns of British heritage films and referenced interviews with the film directors to properly represent their motivations and views. The Journal of Flood Risk Management was helpful as it addressed environmental concerns associated with farmers in England. The essay by Stuart Hall surrounding national identity and Linda Price’s article in the Journal of Rural Studies helped inform my writing on patriarchal systems in British farming families. While The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention gave statistics and presented patterns in farm communities for repeatedly internalizing times of economic stress. I also looked at the representations of UK folklore to show how these modern-day films link themselves within a historical context.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
CS: I had been studying British heritage films and I began thinking of how regional workers are rarely shown as being the protagonist, although they’ve been present and vital throughout history. I remembered seeing Hope Dickson Leach’s film a year prior and thought of how it truly embodied what I saw to be an authentic heritage film. As my research developed so did my thesis. The issues present for farmers are constant and daunting, when even bad weather can affect their livelihood; their stories deserve to be portrayed in an honest light. I admire how the directors of The Levelling and God’s Own Country don’t shy away from the hardships farmers face, emotionally, physically, environmentally, and how they humanize rather than sensationalize their main characters. They choose to look at traditions and folklore while reassessing the patriarchy of farm life based on modern-day shifts.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
CS: The University of North Carolina Wilmington was amazing in fostering my understanding of film theory and motivating me to critically think about not only films but the world itself. I was exposed to an abundance of new material and found that each professor in the Film Studies Department was beyond supportive. I feel extremely fortunate to have been mentored by this faculty; they inspire me with their passion and knowledge, and their continual curiosity reminds me that there’s still so much to be discovered.
FM: How has your faculty mentor fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
CS: Dr. Rawitsch is an amazing professor; she actively engages her students throughout her lectures. During film screenings she encourages students to tweet in questions, thoughts and ideas, which she then responds to. I was most influenced by her willingness and support for students to complete assignments outside of the assigned criteria; college is meant to be about expanding thinking rather than fitting into a mold and, although she expected structure, Dr. Rawitsch was adaptable to bold ideas and theories. At the end of the semester she wanted interesting content and growth for her students, not just checking off the necessary boxes. Her approach to teaching made for a more comfortable environment to ask questions and challenge certain expectations. Without her feedback, I would not have had the confidence to submit this essay.
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
CS: While I was writing this article, I was impassioned by all of the research and information that I had gathered to support my growing thesis; in attempts to fit all of this knowledge into twelve pages, and with this information so fresh in my brain, I tended to overlook the necessity of structuring my ideas into comprehensible segments. Film Matters’publication process reminded me to separate and consistently wrap up my ideas.
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?
CS: I hope this scholarship encourages more people to study this topic and evokes responses to and interest in the idea of a new set of British heritage films. The Levelling and God’s Own Country show not only the future of farmers but a new wave for British cinema. This article analyzes The Levelling and God’s Own Country and presents them as cases of living history, as these films are discussing current issues. They both demonstrate the desperation, loneliness, and hardships of farm life. They delve into buried emotions, family dynamics, and the varied ways people cope with the world around us.
Although the discussion of these films focuses on contemporary present-day issues, these are problems that have been neglected for many years. Farming has always been present in England; however, it is less often the focus of successful films. These two films touch on the overlapping issue of desperation and fear and veer off separately to frame the results of suicide and xenophobia. I truly hope this article gets more people interested in watching Dickson Leach’s and Lee’s films as they can serve as catalysts for conversations about supplying regional areas with better access to communication and support.
FM: What are your future plans?
CS: After graduation, I moved to Sydney, Australia. I’ve been working in the TV industry here. However, my goal is to write, develop, and produce films, focusing mainly on hybrid documentaries. In the coming year, I plan to create a feature that expands on the motivation behind my honors thesis Melba (2017) and focuses on different approaches to grief and mortality. I enjoy making films that can resonate with diverse groups and bring about understanding. We live in a world where fear of the unknown tends to handicap people in terms of real growth and understanding. I believe that, through art and cinema, people are more susceptible to reassessing their set ideas; it’s a constant motivation seeing how genuine content can then assist others to open their perception of the world.
Author Biography
Chamberlain Staub is an international writer and filmmaker with a bachelor’s degree in Film Studies. Her work touches on social issues and mixes humor with raw, unbiased truth and strives for honest expression through the careful exploration of difficult subjects. Her latest independent documentary Melba frames a portrait of a woman as she comes to terms with her mortality.
