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Slow cinema : narrative, minimalism, and indeterminacy in Kenyan cinema

Thesis (PhD (Drama and Film Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2022.

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Other Authors: Broodryk, Chris Willem
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2022
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Broodryk, Chris Willem
author_browse Broodryk, Chris Willem
author_facet Broodryk, Chris Willem
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2022 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Thesis (PhD (Drama and Film Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2022.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:36:43.511Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2022
publishDateRange 2022
publishDateSort 2022
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
record_format dspace
source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/86200 Slow cinema : narrative, minimalism, and indeterminacy in Kenyan cinema Broodryk, Chris Willem u17319669@tuks.co.za Wanyonyi, Emmanuel S. Slow cinema Slow narrative Modernist aesthetic Vraisemblance Narrative techniques Existentialism Kenyan cinema UCTD Thesis (PhD (Drama and Film Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2022. Contemporary scholars perceive Slow Cinema as a distinct art cinema movement (from contemporary mainstream cinemas) that emphasises the passage of time and an undramatic narrative designed for spectatorial contemplation of the cinematic image. Consequently, there is a growing body of literature seeking to locate the narrative-formal strategies of Slow Cinema within the historical, socio-cultural, economic, technological, and political contexts of diverse geographical backgrounds. While contemporary scholarship has interrogated and expanded the frameworks of Slow Cinema techniques particularly in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, there is no systematic research into Slow Cinema’s deployment within an African (Kenyan) context. This study applies auteur theory to understand how Slow Cinema techniques (undramatic/de-dramatised narrative, minimalism, and indeterminacy) can resonate with Kenya’s socio-cultural sensibilities while interrelating on aesthetic, technological, and political levels of the country’s national cinema framework. Specifically, the aim of this study was to investigate how selected Kenyan film viewers, filmmakers, film critics, film scholars, and film policy-makers would visualise and interpret the narrative and aesthetic conventions of Slow Cinema deployed in the first-ever Kenyan Slow Cinema film, Men of the Hill. To answer the research question, I adopted a mixed-methods research design. I relied on qualitative data obtained from the textual analysis of existing Slow Cinema films, Practice-as-Research (PaR), and interviews. Quantitative data was obtained from a web survey of selected Kenyan film viewers. Findings from the textual analysis of three selected Slow Cinema films: Uncle Boonmee, The Turin Horse, and Skoonheid confirmed that the narrative-formal strategies of Slow Cinema can be situated within the national framework of Kenyan cinema. These results also led to the conclusion that Slow Cinema’s themes can resonate with Kenya’s historical and socio-cultural sensibilities. Findings from PaR indicate that the performative and reflective techniques of making the first-ever Kenyan Slow Cinema film convey the form and style of Slow Cinema while retaining a sense of geo-cultural specificity. Results from the web survey and interviews showed that despite Slow Cinema being viewed as a predominantly new genre in Kenyan cinema, its form and style (undramatic narrative, minimalism and indeterminacy) can create a new reality for the viewer leading to contemplative experiences and practices. Results across the web survey and interviews also revealed that a significant majority of the participants appreciated Slow Cinema because of its potential to showcase Kenya’s cultural tendencies and socio-physical reality, while addressing the existing historical and socio-economic challenges. However, the participants observed that it would take more time and knowledge for the average Kenyan viewer to appreciate Slow Cinema. Finally, the results permit this study to conclude that the availability of context-bound knowledge and the situatedness of different methodological approaches in the research of Slow Cinema can offer a unique opportunity to expand the frameworks of Slow Cinema techniques where none have been explored before. Drama PhD Unrestricted 2022-07-14T14:20:44Z 2022-07-14T14:20:44Z 2022-09-09 2022 Thesis * S2022 https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/86200 en © 2022 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle Slow cinema
Slow narrative
Modernist aesthetic
Vraisemblance
Narrative techniques
Existentialism
Kenyan cinema
UCTD
Slow cinema : narrative, minimalism, and indeterminacy in Kenyan cinema
title Slow cinema : narrative, minimalism, and indeterminacy in Kenyan cinema
title_full Slow cinema : narrative, minimalism, and indeterminacy in Kenyan cinema
title_fullStr Slow cinema : narrative, minimalism, and indeterminacy in Kenyan cinema
title_full_unstemmed Slow cinema : narrative, minimalism, and indeterminacy in Kenyan cinema
title_short Slow cinema : narrative, minimalism, and indeterminacy in Kenyan cinema
title_sort slow cinema narrative minimalism and indeterminacy in kenyan cinema
topic Slow cinema
Slow narrative
Modernist aesthetic
Vraisemblance
Narrative techniques
Existentialism
Kenyan cinema
UCTD
url https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/86200