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中國、「一帶一路」及其對數位治理、威權和人權未來的影響

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《燃後》vol.2 《洄游頭前溪》─2024.夏季|六燃小誌第二期

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側記|Film sociology, independent and underground art, autonomy and heteronomy, emancipation, transnational solidarity

2024-12-03

活動資訊

活動名稱|Film sociology, independent and underground art, autonomy and heteronomy, emancipation, transnational solidarity

日期時間|2024年12月3日 (二) 10:00-13:00

地點|線上及實體參與

講者|Vincent DELBOS-KLEIN

側記|李嘉霓 Lee Cheah Ni(NYCU, IACS Master Student)

活動資訊|https://iccs.chss.nycu.edu.tw/zh/activity.php?USN=1529

活動照片|https://iccs.chss.nycu.edu.tw/zh/album.php?USN=315

所屬子計畫|藝術介入與社會行動

子計畫主持人|賴雯淑

In line with the sociologist Bourdieu's emphasis on the importance of objectifying and questioning the gaze of the researcher, Delbos-Klein begins his presentation by discussing his upbringing in the eastern suburbs of Paris. This personal reflection will highlight how his early experiences and social milieu shaped his connection to the art of cinema, consequently structuring his research. Following his initial exploration of cinema during high school, Delbos-Klein developed his practice for about ten years within a dynamic associative context. His career trajectory reflects the profound transformation triggered by the mass adoption of digital technology in early 2000s France. Taking advantage of these technological advances, he explored all aspects of film production before specializing in image-related roles as a director of photography and digital colorist.

In 2014, Delbos-Klein returned to academia, researching self-produced cinema. His doctoral work explored artistic self-production in the neoliberal era, navigating the complex terrain between heteronomy and the search for emancipated work.

Building upon his research on self-produced cinema, the lecture then delves into a broader presentation of self-production. From the 19th century to the 1980s, self-production developed alongside the Industrial Revolution, characterized by economic growth and labor exploitation. This era established a social pact between work and capital, shaping our understanding of work/profit and non-work/nonprofit. Self Production was then considered as a marginalized economical space, out of the industrial norms and its control over labor.

Since the 1980s the rise of neoliberalism, The impact of neoliberalism, financialization, and deregulation has dramatically reshaped our conception of work by intertwining the spaces of self-production and production, non-profit and for-profit. As a result, the modalities of labor exploitation extend well beyond the classical boundaries of labor.

Delbos-Klein highlights the connection between this phenomenon and the film industry by referencing the notion of "hope labor": work performed with little or no pay, driven by future career prospects. The economy of artistic labor is already described by Bourdieu as an "inverted economy," within which artists mobilize unpaid work to gain symbolic value, hoping to later achieve financial autonomy. However, starting in the 2000s, the digital era and the neoliberal model normalized this disposition, turning it into a new economic standard and extending hope labor far beyond artistic careers. In turn, this norm significantly influences the evolution of professional engagement modes in artistic disciplines, further exacerbating their precarity. For filmmakers, the freedom of self-production becomes a form of injunction to constantly do more themselves, to demonstrate their potential value and be selected by professional nomination bodies.

This situation creates tension with the French economic context. Following WWII, France established the CNC to counter Hollywood's dominance. This public institution, with financial and administrative autonomy, is funded by taxes and supports the film industry. However, the tension between heteronomy and autonomy persists within this French model. The increasing reliance on free work, coupled with heightened competition within production and self-production, raises concerns about the potential for economic fragility of the film sector.

Delbos-Klein then shares his PhD film, "On verra bien" (We'll See). This film centers around Le Cinéma La Clef, a Parisian cinema threatened with closure. Subsequently occupied by a collective of activists, La Clef became a site for utopian social experimentation, hosting workshops to support self-produced films, from writing to distribution. As situations within the collective evolved,Delbos-Klein initiated a documentary prominently featuring Lucien, a filmmaker and production student at a major school. Lucien, faced with the normative limits of the industry that don't allow him to make the film he wants – a film documenting his gender transition – grapples with the concept of "springboard to production."Through film elicitation, Lucien's responses explore the dynamic tension between self-production and professional production, and the interplay between profit-driven and non-profit spaces.

Film sociology, as a valuable tool that enhances observation during the process of field discoveries, aligns with Michael Burawoy's concept of public sociology (Burawoy, 2009).It provides a crucial method for building a common space where the sociology filmmaker and the people in the film can talk, watch and analyze together and this extends the output of the research out of the academic field. Film sociology serves several purposes, including ethical, epistemological, and facilitating the effective dissemination of knowledge out of the academic field.

Delbos-Klein continues by showcasing a selection of films he has worked on over the past ten years. This diverse portfolio demonstrates how each project offers a very specific example of how film sociology can be applied in practice.The first project is the documentary "Three Makes Four," initiated in 2022. This intimate project, exploring the challenges faced by filmmakers in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, examines the impact of censorship and economic constraints on their work. It features film portraits of 20 filmmakers and 8 inhabitants of these nations, all linked by their shared history of French colonialism.

In this short presentation, Delbos-Klein will primarily focus on his work in Laos. Based on his insights, Laotian cinema faces challenges such as a lack of human resources and economic limitations. However, these limitations can also be seen as strengths, fostering unique creativity. The growing international recognition of Cambodian and Vietnamese cinema has inspired Laotian filmmakers. Despite its small size, Laos possesses a wealth of untold stories.

The presentation then shifts back to "Temps Plein" (Full Time), a 2013-2016 documentary he co-directed with Arnaud Gravade and Aline Tounier.This film explores the French underground music scene, focusing on self-producing rock and punk bands. "Temps Plein" explores how these individuals organize their lives to pursue their musical passions with maximum freedom. The documentary follows a touring band, a collective of concert organizers, a band navigating everyday life, and a secret punk festival on the beach. Through these observations, "Temps Plein" demonstrates how, in certain circumstances, work can be a purely creative endeavor, prompting a reconsideration of the very definition of 'work'."

Delbos-Klein highlighted the significance of this experience, emphasizing how filmmaking can contribute to the co-construction process and serve academic purposes, both ethically and epistemologically.Ethically, this approach aims to limited the dominant gaze of the researcher and filmmaker on the subject.Epistemologically, it facilitates a deeper understanding of the social field by providing space for the voices and perspectives of the people involved.

"Quantique Khan" (Quantum Khan since 2016) documents Imran Khan, a French musician and scientist of Pakistani heritage who defies convention by fusing punk tours with his academic pursuits. After a disastrous tour in Japan, Imran is banned from the country and sends his friend Octopoulpe to perform in his place. The film explores the unexpected collision of cutting-edge science and raw punk expression, delving into themes of resilience, racism, and transnational solidarity. Notably, "Quantique Khan" also serves as a powerful example of how co-construction can enrich narrative work..

Finally, the presentation featured "Once There Was" (India), an animated documentary series that explores global ecological disasters and Indigenous resistance movements worldwide.This project, which Delbos-Klein has been working on since 2016, examines how human actions impact the environment and how communities respond.He then focused specifically on "Once There Was a River," the episode he co-directed with Rosalie Loncin. This episode follows Luni, a young girl in Rajasthan, India, as she experiences these environmental challenges. Through animation and a co-construction process, including inviting the girl to contribute to the filmmaking process through drawing and sharing her thoughts and feelings, the film brings out not only the subjectivity but also the imaginative and emotional layers of the social story, enriching the narrative with her unique perspective.

The Lecture by Vincent Delbos-Klein concluded with a Q&A session, followed by a roundtable forum with ICCS Research Fellows at NYCU."

References:
"On verra bien" (We'll See)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GShC6ZzqaBI

"Quantique Khan"- Film esquisse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD84PBImaIU

“Once there was” 30s teaser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZynoDGBsZuY

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