Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Jacqueline Brady: My article is about Olivier Babinet’s 2016 film Swagger and explores how the film challenges reductive cinematic and media representations of the French banlieues, which often shape the banlieues into spaces of exclusion and Otherness and work to legitimize State violence against the population.
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
JB: My research incorporates theories on hybridity, French Universalism, Bhabha’s Third Space, Nichols’s documentary modes, urban policy, and spatial injustice to situate the film Swagger in the larger context of French imperialism and State violence, documentary film, and other media representations of the French banlieues.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
JB: I wrote this article for my senior film studies research seminar with Professor Margaret Flinn. The topic of the seminar was global Francophone cinema with a focus on films coming out of the African diaspora.
FM: How have your personal experiences shaped and influenced your writing?
JB: I feel like I have always been more of a watcher than a participant, and my experience watching films is so conflicting because I can finish a movie or a TV show and come out feeling alive and inspired, or just totally empty. Because, of course, it’s really easy and convenient to spend time alone, staring at a screen, absorbing images provided by people who want my attention and money. But it’s also really isolating. Film as a medium is not separate from, but constantly intertwined with various sociopolitical and economic systems of oppression and exploitation. Like, sure, it’s easy to look at a film and say “It’s all constructed! Everything is subjective! Nothing is real!” and kind of analyze films in an isolated bubble of form and content. It’s also easier and more comfortable to apply that same sort of clinical analysis to my own emotions and experiences, to regard everything at a distance rather than take the risk of participating in the world. What has helped me most of all is being able to see that I am not alone in my feelings of shame and alienation, that these things are symptoms of a deeper systemic rot and not a fundamental brokenness. So it seems natural that I would be drawn toward writing about films that make me reflect deeply about the intersection between exploitative systems and the lived experiences of people caught in the middle.
FM: What aspects of the writing process were most challenging? Why?
JB: The most challenging aspect of the writing process for me was honestly just getting started and organizing my ideas. It’s very easy for me to get trapped in analysis paralysis and get stuck before I even begin because I want to get everything right the first time through. It really just seems insurmountable until I start! Organization was challenging as well because I wanted to strike a balance between the primary text, theoretical sources, and personal voice while still making a comprehensible argument.
FM: What do you enjoy most about your article?
JB: I really enjoyed making connections between Swagger and the larger theoretical concepts I was dealing with. My sources varied quite a bit, which kept me interested and curious about the ways they could relate to the primary text. It was very enjoyable and satisfying to see it all come together in the end!
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
JB: The Film Matters editorial and publication process has impacted the development of my article by making me really consider how to clearly and concisely articulate the main points of my article. This meant cutting out parts of the article and breaking it up into sections to structure it a bit more clearly, which hopefully makes it easier to navigate.
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?
JB: I suppose the audience I had in mind while writing my article was primarily film and media or Francophone studies scholars. I was hoping to explore the connections between documentary film and other modes of representation, such as journalism and urban policy. In particular, I wanted to highlight how Swagger reimagines the French banlieue and challenges dominant portrayals of the space. I hope that this contributes to the existing scholarship on “banlieue films” that questions cinematic portrayals of the French banlieues and the categorization of “banlieue film” as a genre in and of itself.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
JB: The Ohio State Film Studies Department has supported me by offering opportunities to pursue research, internships, and connect with faculty members and mentor figures whose work I really admire. In my curriculum, I have been exposed to so many films, artworks, and texts that I would’ve never encountered otherwise. Being able to engage with these texts and explore them with my professors and peers has really helped me form a more open, curious approach to media and figure out my niche.
FM: How has your faculty mentor(s) fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
JB: My faculty mentor, Professor Margaret Flinn, has provided me with so much support and encouragement over the past couple years. Not only has she guided me toward resources that were incredibly helpful in my research, but she has also shared her advice and experiences as a film scholar, pushed me to apply for grants and pursue independent research, and taken the time to really engage with my work. I can safely say that I wouldn’t have even thought to submit my work anywhere without her encouragement, so I really can’t thank her enough for providing me with the resources to become a better scholar and person!
FM: What advice do you have for undergraduate film and media scholars?
JB: The main piece of advice I’d give is to get involved in your local film community in some way! It can be such a rewarding experience and provide you with the kind of support and sense of belonging that you might miss out on in an academic environment, especially if you go to a big school like I did. In a similar vein, reach out to professors or mentor figures whose work interests you. They can provide some truly invaluable advice and support!
FM: What are your future plans?
JB: I’m currently working on a TEFL certificate and am hoping to travel and teach abroad when that becomes a safe possibility. In the meantime, I’ve just been applying to jobs for the upcoming year. I’m casting my net really wide and trying to gain some experience and get out of my comfort zone. I would love to go back to school in the future and get a master’s degree in film/media studies or production. I’d really like to teach at a university and gain the experience, mentorship, and resources to pursue further creative and research projects.
Author Biography
Jackie Brady is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University, where they studied film studies, video art, dance, and French. They are particularly interested in experimental filmmaking, archival practices, and community-based art.
