Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Andrew Lewis: This article describes the use of diegetic music in Aki Kaurismäki’s 2017 film The Other Side of Hope. Portraying how music can make a meaningful connection with individuals facing oppression, the director’s films have always relied on music as a tool for political narration. Dealing with the 2010s refugee crisis in Europe, this film sees the director’s use of music take on a new shape, demonstrating a communion between characters in a globalized, post-national condition.
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
AL: This piece is mainly a moment-by-moment analysis of diegetic music in the film. Drawing on Andrew Nestingen’s application of Amy Herzog’s theory of “musical moments” to Kaurismäki’s cinema, I analyze how each instance of diegetic music relates to key narrative events. I contextualize this use of music within the globalization theory of authors like Arjun Appadurai and Kaurismäki scholar Pietari Kääpä, as different styles of music are used across the film to elicit a post-national communion between characters that globalization has thrown into flux.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
AL: This paper was originally formed as my final research paper for a course titled History of World Cinema. Writing on a director of our choosing from outside the United States, I chose to look at Aki Kaurismäki, as I watched one of his films for another class, and have continued to watch his work. I was very intrigued by the use of music in his films, as he draws on the cultural and emotional power of the art form to connect with individuals.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
AL: The faculty of the Film and Media Studies program at Washington University have spurred my love of cinema and always provided amazing feedback, criticism, and guidance. Encouraging cinephilia and the historical/cultural analysis of film as a text, the classes I’ve taken have introduced me to countless film movements and directors, which have altered my conception of cinema and its status as a cultural document.
FM: How has your faculty mentor fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
AL: Dr. Diane Wei Lewis’s responses to one of my first papers for the class in which this paper was written encouraged me to pursue becoming a film scholar. Her guidance on things to read, areas to improve in, and films to watch have formed much of my academic experience studying cinema. I would never have seen some of my favorite films, or understood the ins-and-outs of certain aspects of film theory, without her direction and clear explanations. Suggesting that I draw on my knowledge of music and apply it to film, the help of Dr. Lewis and my other mentors has been indispensable!
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
AL: The editorial process definitely helped me key in on what my core argument was, and adjust my language to emphasize those ideas. I found the various rounds of feedback this essay received very insightful, and they pointed me in the right direction in terms of what to adjust.
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?
AL: I hope this article demonstrates the multiplicity of cultural factors which inform musical style, and how they translate onto the screen to form a specific meaning. With Kaurismäki’s cinema implementing music in this specific way, its potential as a tool for cultural critique in cinema becomes more clear.
FM: What are your future plans?
AL: I hope to pursue a PhD in Film and Media Studies in the next few years. For now, I’ll be finding a job in St. Louis and playing in local indie rock bands.
Author Biography
Andrew Lewis is a senior at Washington University in St. Louis majoring in Film and Media Studies with a second major in History. His film coursework has been primarily focused on narrative art cinema, film music, and the history of global film movements, while his history studies have centered around African history, masculinity, and twentieth-century US history.
