Narrating Hybridity: Poetic Strategies in Filmmaking

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https://www.academia.edu/121846144/Narrating_Hybridity_Poetic_Strategies_in_Filmmaking?source=swp_share

My film "My Ah Gong is Kinmenese'' （我的阿公是金門人）delves into the topic of cultural identity and addresses issues of family history, generational transitions, intergenerational dialogue, and the intricate relationship between individual and group identity. It explores the complex tapestry of cultural hybridity, telling a personal narrative of my journey as a third-generation Singaporean in search of my alleged Kinmenese ancestry. The film serves as a vehicle for me to investigate the subtleties of my dual cultural identity via a trip back to my ancestral hometown, taken with my father.

In researching for this work, I have delved into existing theories such as “cultural hybridity” by cultural scholar Homi Bhabha and the “third culture kid” framework by sociologist David Pollock and psychologist Ruth Van Reken. Cultural hybridity, at its core, is the blending and merging of various cultural components, identities, and experiences that occur when individuals are exposed to many cultural environments 1 (Bhabha, 1994). It highlights the fluid and dynamic nature of identity creation, challenging conventional ideas of fixed, homogeneous identities 1 (Bhabha, 1994). The concept of cultural hybridity emphasises the dynamic interplay between diverse cultural influences that shape these people's identities, and the framework of the Third Culture Kid offers perspectives on the experiences of people who grow up in several cultures, with both theories surrounding people of diverse cultures. The book, states that a person who has spent more than half of their formative years outside of their parents' culture is known as a Third Culture Kid (TCK). Not fully owning every culture, the TCK often forges bonds across them all. Even though a TCK's life experience may incorporate components from other cultures, the sense of belonging is frequently related to those who share similar backgrounds 1 (Pollock and Van Reken, 2017). Bhabha's concept of cultural hybridity reveals the multifaceted identities of Third-Culture Kids by emphasising the adaptation and flexibility that come with growing up in a variety of cultural contexts. As a person of diverse cultural background, my artistic interest is to create a film that reflects the two theories which inform my multifaceted identity.

1 Yeo, R.Z.H. (2023) Shifting Identities: Mapping Cultural Hybridity Through Photography and Moving Images. [University of Arts London], [London, United Kingdom].

Telling the story of my search for family history through the medium of film allowed me to raise questions about the medium of moving image itself, as a critical mode of representing and thinking about the issue of cultural hybridity. Having previously trained in documentary filmmaking, I wanted to use the work to examine the idea of documentation and communication through the possibilities of a more poetic approach. While conventional documentary films are primarily concerned with capturing factual truths and addressing the audience in a clear and direct manner (Nichols, 1991), artistic works that operate with the documentary form do not follow the classic narrative style, yet often encourage viewers to challenge preconceptions and consider alternative viewpoints because they acknowledge that truth can be multi-faceted and open-ended (Alexandru, 2019), affecting the way sequences are being edited and presented.

Such an artistic approach to documentary-making is also examined by digital media theorist, Bettina Frankham. Frankham shares how the poetic approach to documentary challenges conventional notions of what a documentary can be by operating in the grey areas between art and document (Frankham, 2014). This poetic documentary pushes the boundaries of what is identifiable as a documentary and emphasises the rhetorical significance of artistic decisions, conceptualising the work as an experience in and of itself rather than a copy of reality, an experiential form of knowing (Frankham, 2014). Frankham introduces the phrase "discomfort of form", which refers to an unexpected foregrounding of the work's shape that sits oddly with the evidentiary expectations connected with documentaries, rather than suggesting that these are unappealing. Evoking discomfort in documentaries allows a broader discussion of the themes that are being explored and it can be a very effective way to explore themes of cultural displacement and hybridity, forcing the audience to face difficult truths and delve deeper into the complexity of cultural identity and belonging. Beyond objectively depicting reality, a poetic approach might employ defamiliarisation strategies to reframe perception and allow for the remaking of prior connections (Frankham, 2014).

One filmmaker who displays a poetic approach to documentary making is Singapore filmmaker Tan Pin Pin, whose films are distinguished by her meticulous attention to detail, subtle yet effective storytelling approaches, contemplative pacing, and ability to capture the essence of everyday life and the subtleties of human exchanges. Tan Pin Pin’s film works are a good illustration of the poetic approach in the documentary concerning art that was discussed by Frankham earlier in her article. I have taken the main inspiration from Tan’s film of her poetry style in making “My Ah Gong is Kinmenese”. The sincerity and meticulous attention to detail that define Tan's documentary style enable viewers to delve deeper into Singaporean society and discover its intricacies with the film "Singapore Gaga," Tan asks viewers to consider what gaga means and what it says about Singapore's cultural identity (Tan, 2021). Tan’s decision to take a poetic approach to cinematography is not just visual poetry and exploration of themes but also focuses on the attention to language as well as the emotional resonance. What makes her film stand out as an art poetic film is her attention to the language that she uses in her film, which is the essential component of Tan's poetic style. She skillfully uses the soundscape and the duration of scenes, which turns to her advantage in bringing out the emotion of the audience (Watsons, 2016).

This was seen at the start of the film and ending of her film (Singapore Gaga) as she begins with the footage of the busker at the train station busking music and ends her film with it as well (refer to annex 1). The duration of the scene which features the busker’s singing is a minute long and transitions to the next scene continuing his singing in the background (refer to annex 2). This scene provokes an unconscious reflection moment for the audience. As a filmmaker, Tan is there to observe how the subject evokes certain sentiments, yet her style lets the subject speak and establishes a sense of narrative so that viewers may piece the story together for themselves (Watsons, 2016). While Tan’s film serves as a point of reference in terms of a poetic approach, my work differs in that it uses a first-person perspective and to some extent, is ethnographic. The book “Experimental Ethnography” by Catherine Russell analyses many experimental ethnographic films and videos, emphasising the creative approaches and strategies used by filmmakers to subvert conventional forms of interpretation and representation. Russell investigates how these filmmakers manage the limits of ethnographic technique and viewers' conceptions of reality and truth by addressing themes of reflexivity, subjectivity, and cultural relativism (Russell, 1999).

To prompt audiences to consider the constructed nature of representation and the power dynamics inherent in the process of making ethnographic films, filmmakers may purposefully shatter the appearance of impartiality (Russell, 1999). Experimental ethnographic filmmakers frequently emphasise subjectivity and interpretation, questioning the idea of a single, authoritative story about a culture or society. Instead of allowing viewers to passively consume a predefined story, they might embrace contradictions, ambiguities, and many points of view, encouraging viewers to actively interpret and engage in conversation (Russell, 1999). They may use unique editing techniques, visual metaphors, abstraction, and non-linear narratives to resist simple interpretation (Russell, 1999). Russell highlights the rich range and vitality of experimental ethnographic filmmaking methods by looking at these themes and experiments. She also shows how filmmakers in the era of video technology creatively deal with the problems of culture, representation, and power.

Another point of reference for me is "47 Days, Soundless" (2024) by Nguyen Trinh Thi. The emotional impact and historical significance of the events it portrays are communicated using ambient soundscapes, archival material, and visual imagery (Singapore Art Museum, 2024). With its unconventional storytelling approach, "47 Days, Soundless" seeks to provoke empathy and introspection in its audience, asking them to consider the human cost of migration as well as the difficulties associated with identity, memory, and loss (Singapore Art Museum, 2024). Besides the installation aspect of the work, I find that the soundscape of it was one of the important elements. The usage of sound represents the layers of history, memories of the place as well as stories of the people, not just related to the geography of the site. Nguyen’s usage of montage and remix of archival footage directs the audience’s attention from the macro view to the micro and back to the overall again, strategically used to resist conventional storytelling (Lovatt, 2021). Hence, for my film “My Ah Gong is Kinmenese” I decided not to use any pre-made music for the building atmosphere yet retain its original soundscapes that I recorded in the footage, to bring out that layer of the memories of the place and how these places speak for themselves.

Both Tan and Nguyen leave space for imagination for the audiences with open-ended narratives and the use of soundscapes. In my film “My Ah Gong is Kinmenese”, I employed a similar strategy of having no dialogues in parts of my film to allow the audience to take in the visual elements that I am showing like the progress of rituals and daily lives in Kinmen and Singapore. I also employed the soundscapes in my film that are uniquely geographical to the sites. An example of using soundscapes that tell the audience about my work will be at the beginning of my film, where you can hear the melody of “Für Elise” which is the garbage truck music used only in Taiwan as well as the “Speak Mandarin Campaign (讲华语运动)” song that prompts and conveys messages that are not explained in my film as part of the film experience, considering Russell’s research on how experimental ethnographic films prompt audiences to reflect on the choices of the filmmaker, by using unique techniques in editing my film.

In my film, I emphasise the fact that my grandfather is from Kinmen, while I am not, hints at a generational and cultural disconnect. That shows a desire to understand and connect with a cultural heritage that may feel distant. The inclusion of "is" in the title ("My Ah Gong (Grandfather) is Kinmenese") suggests a sense of being as if the grandfather's identity is a fixed point in the past. The conversations in the film between Kinmen, Taiwan and Singapore, focus on the similarities in both lands as well as the differences that people experience in their daily lives. It is a film that showcases my perspective on the issues of cultural hybridity that surfaces in different generations, and the sense of belonging. The film signifies a recognition of how identities and cultural affiliations evolve over generations while reflecting on the changes and shifts in cultural identity within my family. Exploring what it means to belong to a heritage when identity is fluid especially when family lineage evolves through time. The film showcases how communication and understanding of cultural heritage and identity, between different generations within a family occur. I explore the tension and interaction between individual identity and the larger cultural collective identity as I share my journey as a third-generation Singaporean seeking to connect with my alleged Kinmenese ancestors, highlighting the complexity and richness that emerge from cultural exchange and interaction.

References

Alexandru, V. (2019) ‘Visual symbolism in the poetic documentary’, VISUAL SYMBOLISM IN THE POETIC DOCUMENTARY, 3(1), pp. 56–63. doi:10.26520/mcdsare.2019.3.56-63. Accessed 26 Jan. 2024.

Bhabha, H.K. (1994) The Location of Culture. London, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Frankham, B. (2014) A poetic approach to documentary: Discomfort of form, rhetorical strategies and aesthetic experience, Academia.edu. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/6621475/A_poetic_approach_to_documentary_discomfort_of_form rhetoricalstrategies_and_aesthetic_experience (Accessed: 15 January 2024).

Lovatt, P. (2021) Foraging in the ruins: Nguyễn Trinh Thi’s mycological moving-image practice, Screen, Volume 62, Issue 4, Winter 2021, Pages 559–567, https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/hjab055. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Nichols, B. (1991) Representing reality: Issues and concepts in documentary. Indiana, United States of America: Indiana University Press.

Pollock, D.C. and Van Reken, R.E. (2017) Third culture kids: The experience of growing up among worlds. London, United Kingdom: Hodder & Stoughton General Division.

Russell, C. (1999) Experimental Ethnography: The Work of Film in the Age of Video. Duke University Press, 1999. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv11cw7bq. Accessed 18 Feb. 2024.

Singapore Art Museum. (2024) 47 Days, Sound-less by Nguyen Trinh Thi. Singapore: Singapore Art Museum.

Tan, P.P. (2021) Singapore Gaga (2005), Tan Pin Pin 陈彬彬. Available at: https://tanpinpin.com/about/singapore-gaga/ (Accessed: 08 February 2024).

Watson, J. K. (2016) Aspirational City, Interventions, 18:4, 543-558, DOI: 10.1080/1369801X.2015.1126193. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.