Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Vanessa Zarm: My article centers around Eduardo W. Roy Jr’s 2016 Filipino film Ordinary People, which explores the central issue of street children and baby-snatching in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Through a stylistic examination of the film, namely the use of surveillance footage and its long takes, I particularly highlight many thematic questions throughout the article. These include the prejudice and media exploitation of street children, the vulnerability and abuse experienced amongst female adolescents, and the ethical dilemma of the baby’s separation from their impoverished environment.
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
VZ: The initial starting point of my research primarily focused on individual reviews of the film and interviews with director Eduardo W. Roy Jr, before reaching toward contemporary journal articles addressing these pervasive issues within the Philippines. Following these film-specific resources, the articles were driven by a more sociological and psychological nature, particularly in regard to the disparity in treatment between homeless children and the middle-class.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
VZ: After having successfully published my first article for Film Matters 11.3/Winter 2020 Issue, “The Significance of Ingrid Goes West’s Obsession with Social Media,” I was eager to further explore films and issues I felt relevant to bring forth. Following my final-year undergraduate modules of African and Japanese cinema, I subsequently became more interested in the independent films of the Philippines—my mother’s native country. After coming across Ordinary People on Netflix, its thematic complexity and unique filmmaking style instantly compelled a deeper study into the ramifications of Filipino’s poverty-stricken society.
FM: How have your personal experiences shaped and influenced your writing?
VZ: Particularly after the editorial process of my previous article for the 11.3 issue, I became much more perceptive toward maintaining a sense of clarity and simplicity within my writing. Whilst maintaining my own writing style, former editorial techniques both within and outside of my undergraduate degree shaped me into a clear, concise, and passionate writer. Fostered by the feedback I’ve received from peers and professors alike, my writing has not only become less convoluted, but has allowed a more unique, critical voice to permeate into my analysis.
FM: What aspects of the writing process were most challenging? Why?
VZ: The most challenging aspect is finding a structure which thematically, and logically, flows, but also continuously engages the author throughout the various sections within the article. Complicated by engaging with both the film’s stylistic achievements, as well as the various sociological issues I touch upon, the convergence of these distinct ideas into a unified, well-supported whole remains one of the most difficult challenges throughout this writing process.
FM: What do you enjoy most about your article?
VZ: Ultimately, the final structure of my article is what I’m most proud of—addressing themes which I believe to be highly relevant and stimulate the reader to ponder on the struggles of this underrepresented community. By highlighting the most powerful scenes within the film, conducting specific scene analysis has always been an enjoyable, eye-opening facet throughout the writing process. After all, it remains a critical skill within film studies that I learned to refine throughout my time as an undergraduate.
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
VZ: The editorial and publication process has been a thought-provoking procedure, challenging me to reevaluate my work whilst being mindful and open toward the critical feedback I received. By revising my article with a more precise and knowledgeable eye—whether it be integrating quotes more effectively to extracting any superfluous points—I feel like my article has gained a much more refined structure, pushing me to solidify my own opinions with the same depth as my standard scene analysis. As such, the editorial process has enabled my paper to become punctuated by a much more personal, decisive voice.
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?
VZ: I hope my article will spark interest and contemplation within any range of readers—particularly those interested in social realist films of Southeast Asian cinema. As the issues represented in the film are still relevant today. The themes I specifically addressed will hopefully catalyze a universal sense of empathy and understanding; notably in regard to the discrimination of homeless population, as well as victims of sexual abuse. Furthermore, I hope the article will stimulate more critical engagement with independent films of Philippine cinema, as the rich, thematic complexities explored by contemporary Filipino film carries much potential for an academic, cross-disciplinary dialogue.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
VZ: The support of my departmental advisor, Athena Mandis, as well as my role within Queen Mary’s arts and culture magazine, has solidified a certain, creative liberty in regard to my work in film and media. By not only pursuing scholarly work outside of the film studies curriculum, but writing and editing reviews on a weekly basis, the department has nurtured opportunities and experiences that have shaped me into a well-rounded film and media scholar; skills which I continue to carry with me throughout my postgraduate studies.
FM: How has your faculty mentor fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
VZ: My faculty mentor Dr. Anat Pick personifies a significant, inspiring figure who has consistently guided me throughout my undergraduate studies, whose support is the reason I’m continuing my journey as a young film scholar within my current postgraduate studies. Her encouragement to engage with critical, diverse themes I was passionate about outside of the curriculum has reinforced an enduring affection toward research within film studies.
FM: What advice do you have for undergraduate film and media scholars?
VZ: I’d simply say—watch as many films as you can. Particularly at an early stage, or for those who are already thinking about their postgraduate studies, finding a topic one is both passionate about, or perhaps may not be as widely discussed within film academia yet, may be a useful first step to engage with scholarly work. Discussing any initial interests with professors has proven to be an invaluable departure point I can recommend wholeheartedly — as it was my faculty mentor who subsequently introduced me to Film Matters; birthing an enduring affection toward scholarly film work.
FM: What are your future plans?
VZ: As I’m currently finishing my MSt in Film Aesthetics at Oxford University, I would love to continue on to a PhD, exploring new, niche areas within digital cinema that are of interest to me. As research within film studies is a highly heterogenous and ever-evolving process, I still remain heavily intrigued by the relationship between contemporary cinema, the modern spectator, and today’s technological evolution— as mainstream film both responds to, or negates, what today’s audiences wish to see reflected on-screen.
Author Biography
Vanessa Zarm is a recent graduate of Queen Mary University of London and is currently completing her MSt in Film Aesthetics at Oxford University. Her interests lie within contemporary issues of mainstream film, especially the relationship between digital cinema and the modern spectator.
