My Body Is the Land

A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Renée Crown University Honors Program at

Syracuse University

Greer Fawcett

Candidate for Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and Renée Crown University Honors

Spring 2020

Honors Thesis in Film

Thesis Advisor: Vasilios Andrea Papioannou, As-sistant Teaching Professor

Thesis Reader: Kelly Gallagher, Assistant Teaching Professor

Honors Director: Dr. Danielle Smith, Director

© (Greer Fawcett 4/17/2020)

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Abstract Mother Nature is a feminine ideology that is present in almost every corner of the world; her sto-ry is marked by her ability to overcome tragedy and to provide and nurture without resentment. My Body Is the Land is inspired by the ancient legends of Mother Nature and is a short, experi-mental film about the connectedness of women to women, and women to nature. The story re-volves around four main characters that serve as archetypes for these natural legends: an inno-cent Baby Girl, a lost Mother, a nurturing Grandmother, and the all-knowing Ocean. The film aims to inspire the respect of women and nature on-screen through associative editing and off-screen through a commitment to service.

The film itself relies on an all-female cast and crew to empower women in the film industry and to promote the film’s themes of femininity. The film also acknowledges that it was created on San Gabrielino tribal lands and follows sustainability guidelines put forth by the Center for Me-dia and Social Impact. This demonstrates the film’s commitment to the preservation and respect for the environment and respect for its people.

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Executive Summary

Mother Nature has many names; in Western cultures she is Mother Nature, in Greco Ro-

man culture she is Venus, in American indigenous culture she is Nokomis, in South American

culture she is Pachamama, in Southeast Asian culture she is Phra Mae Thorani, in East Indian

culture she is Dewi Sri, and in African culture she is Ala. All of these women are bound by their 1

common holiness, depicted beauty, extreme generosity, life-bearing bodies, and the ability to

overcome harsh adversities. These stories led to the creation of My Body Is the Land which is a

10 minute short, experimental film inspired by these legends of Mother Nature.

As the director of this film I was originally motivated to tell a story based on my deep

connection to the environment. I discovered that I have associated feminine traits with the natur-

al world through my past experiences as a woman. This connection between femininity and na-

ture inspired my research on the topic of Mother Nature. I discovered that the natural world is

consistently identified as feminine across different cultures, periods, and places. The legends of

Mother Nature highlighted the cyclical aspects of life, the power of women, and the power of

nature. These stories provided a reference point for the film as each character represents a gener-

ational archetype and associates them to the natural world.

The film revolves around four main characters:

a Baby Girl, filled with innocence,

a Mother, somewhere lost in the middle,

a Grandmother, with the wisdom of all her years,

“Mother Nature.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1

Mother_Nature.

iv

and the Ocean, an obstacle and destination for each woman, and representative of Mother Na-

ture.

Each woman represents a different stage of life that corresponds with the cycles observed in the

natural world. With this foundation, I began to structure other aspects of the film to highlight the

themes of connection between women and women, and women to nature.

The film itself is structured with a concrete beginning, middle, and end that is representa-

tive of a life cycle or a day cycle. The beginning is in the morning, which signifies birth and in-

troduces each character, their environment, and their conflict. The middle is mid-day and the

climax of the film. It shows each woman overcoming their conflict and beginning to connect.

The ending is at sunset and signifies death and rebirth; one woman’s life cycle has finished,

which allows for the others to be re-born.

In the film, the ocean serves as a segue between each character, location, and time-space.

The ocean is personified through the use of voice and close ups, symbolizing Mother Nature.

Similarly to the day's cycle, the ocean also works in cycles; starting with stillness, then building

up to a climax, then crashing, and then dissipating only to begin again. In each scene, the ocean's

rhythm and flow are used to pace emotional beats within each character’s journey.

These story elements emphasize the experimental narrative approach of the film. This

means the film follows a story, but the story is non-linear and each moment serves an emotional

purpose rather than a narrative purpose. Instead of major plot points being exposed through dia-

logue the film relies on the use of glance, gesture, layered sound design, and montage. This em-

v

phasizes the experimental nature of the film. Taking this approach, I am better able to highlight

the feminine aspects of nature through its ability to nurture, connect, overcome, and re-cycle.

The film has a deep tie to the natural world and to femininity which prompted several

non-traditional aspects in the filmmaking process. As a result, the film was created with an all

women-identifying cast and crew, created 100% sustainably, and created with the support of the

San Gabrielino tribe.

According to Women in Hollywood, only 33% of onscreen roles were women, only 4%

of films were directed by women, and only 15% of films were written by women. My Body Is 2

the Land aims to make a difference in these statistics by employing and empowering women to

work on the project. During the production of the film this created challenges with labor and led

to the training of women in new positions. However, it was worth it, as I created a safe space for

female filmmakers.

The environment plays another significant role in the filmmaking process because of our

story and because of our shooting location at the beach. As a small local project shot in my

hometown of Laguna Beach, CA, the film can focus on preserving and enhancing the beauty of

the natural world. All of the waste we generated was compostable or recyclable, we carpooled to

and from location, we conducted beach cleanups, and we filmed using natural lighting. The US

film industry generates around 15 million tons of carbon dioxide and this project aims to set a

precedent for future films to preserve, respect, and care for the environment.

“2018 Statistics.” Women and Hollywood, womenandhollywood.com/resources/statistics/2

2018-statistics/.

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This ideology inspired the reaching out to the San Gabrielino tribe of the Los Angeles

and Orange County area. Working with the tribe I importantly acknowledged that the land we

filmed on was originally theirs. I was inspired by the stories of tribal leaders that shaped the land

as we know it today. Throughout the filmmaking process I worked with the San Gabrielino tribe

closely in aspects of representation and through community service.

As a whole, this project is not just a film; it is an effort to build a community. Upon

completion the film is being submitted to festivals and art galleries to spread the themes of re-

spect for women and the environment. This message is seen through the film’s story, employ-

ment of women, care for the environment, and respect to native culture. The topics throughout

the film include the glorification of women and the environment which led to a chain reaction of

off-screen film principles. This ideology included the film’s production crew of over 14 intelli-

gent, hard-working women. We also made sure to leave the earth in a better condition than we

found it by doing beach clean-ups and having a sustainable production. Climate change is a re-

sult of human interaction and demonstrates a disrespect of the environment which directly corre-

sponds to the neglect of women. To show my respect as a filmmaker, this fostered my relation-

ship with the San Gabrielino tribe and helped me understand their values regarding women and

the land. The film also acknowledges it was filmed on tribal land and promotes the tribe’s mes-

sages of love, unity, and respect for women and the natural world.

With the degradation and exploitation of the environment and women this film serves as

a call to action to unify all people back to our natural roots. Film serves as a great communicator

that transcends cultural, linguistic, and ideological barriers. My Body Is the Land was created

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with this in mind. The film aims to spread a message of positivity and to spark a conversation

about the state of the environment through a feminine lens.

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Table of Contents

Abstract……………………………………….……………….………….. iii Executive Summary………………………….……………….………….. iv Preface……………………………………….……………….…………… x Acknowledgments ………….…………………………………………….. xi Advice to Future Honors Students …………..………………………….. xii

Chapter 1: Ideology Behind the Film .…………………………………… 1

Chapter 2: The Filmmaking Process .……………………………………. 5

Chapter 3: Filmmaking Inspiration ..……………………………………. 10

Chapter 4: Praxis and Scope of the Film ……………………….…….…. 14

Works Cited.……………………………………………………………….. 17 Appendices…………………………………………………………………. 18

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Preface

The burden of creation is placed upon me as a filmmaker, woman, and as a human. This project serves as a celebration of life and as an indicator of social progress meeting the filmic process.

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Acknowledgments (Optional)

“And when you want something all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it”

Vasilios Andrea Papaioannu

Kelly Gallagher

Kappa Alpha Theta MC’17

My Family

All of My Professors Through the Years

The Kelly Fan Club

My Tribe from Home

Thank you all for your honesty, bravery, empathy, kindness, time, and laughter.

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Advice to Future Honors Students

“Time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think.” This is true in filmmaking and life.

While working on my honors thesis I held a sort of resentment to the creative side of my life. This manifested itself in many ways but particularly through self-doubt. As an artist, it is difficult to create all the time, it can be difficult to find enjoyment in the process, and you may feel that your endeavors aren’t strong enough. My commitment to honors demonstrates my ability to succeed academically and is not an indicator of my creative ability. Throughout my senior year, self-doubt began to creep in as I felt like my academic success was a better indicator of who I am and what I should do in my life. This is something I must battle every day because, at the end of it, creating is what makes me happy. Find what brings you joy and fulfillment, not what brings you suc-cess.

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Chapter 1

Ideology Behind the Film

My Body Is the Land is a short experimental film that explores themes of motherhood,

connectivity, and love for nature. These topics manifest themselves in the film’s emotional narra-

tive and through the following of ethical, off-screen principles. The filmmaking process is

marked by three distinct phases that include pre-production, production, and post-production.

The pre-production process laid out an ideological framework for the film that included the sto-

ry’s plot, the hiring of an all-female cast and crew, the following of sustainability guidelines, and

the collaboration with the San Gabrielino tribe. The film was inspired by my connection to the

natural world which caused me to research the concept of Mother Nature. Throughout the film-

making process, I gleaned information from my research on Mother Nature and drew inspiration

from the work of trailblazing female filmmakers like Ava Duvernay, Greta Gerwig, and Andrea

Arnold.

In my culture, the idea of Mother Nature is a “Greco Roman personification of nature

that focuses on the life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature by embodying it, in the form of

the mother." My research also explored other cultures around the world and their ideas of Moth3 -

er Nature and I began to see patterns in these stories. In Western cultures she is known as Mother

Nature, Greco Roman as Venus, American indigenous as Nokomis, South American as

Pachamama, Southeast Asian as Phra Mae Thorani, East Indian as Dewi Sri, and Africa as Ala.

The women in the stories seemed to be bound by their common holiness, depicted beauty, ex-

treme generosity, life-bearing bodies, and the ability to overcome harsh adversities.

“Mother Nature.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3

Mother_Nature.

2

For example, Pachamama is a fertility goddess for the indigenous people of the Andes

and she watches over their planting and harvesting. She was often regarded as harsh and cruel for

her ability to cause natural disasters, but also for her power to bring life. Dewi Sri tells a similar 4

story as she was once a princess who was killed for her beauty, but rather than seeking

vengeance on her murderers her body grew into important crops for the East Indian region. 5

There is also Nokomis described as “the Earth-Mother from whom is derived the Water of Life,

who at her bosom feeds plants, animals and human.” This demonstrates her ability to overcome 6

challenges and to provide without expecting anything in return. Finally, Phra Mae Thorani who

is the beautiful Earth goddess that saved Buddha’s meditation by creating a flood from her body

to wash away evil. In some stories like Pachamama’s, there are further connections to cosmo7 -

logical principles like of water, sun, earth, and moon. Within these stories, symbols of water, 8

fertility, beauty, power, and nurture arose and became the center of the film itself.

While this research gave me helpful and important thematic devices, the film still needed

some story structure. The rule of thirds, a common tactic used in art, manifested itself as the

three generations of women and the three different times of day— sunrise, midday, and sunset.

By using these three perspectives and different times of day, the idea became to connect the

“Pachamama.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4

Pachamama.

“Dewi Sri.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewi_Sri.5

“Mother Nature.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6

Mother_Nature.

“Phra Mae Thorani.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7

Phra_Mae_Thorani.

“Pachamama.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8

Pachamama.

3

women to each other and then to connect the women to nature through associative editing. The

film heavily relies on themes and connections to the natural world, land, and sea that provide a

bounty for us humans.

As the topic was shaped and inspired by my feminine connection to the land I felt it was

necessary to reach out to the San Gabrielino tribe. They are the original inhibitors of the land at

our filming location in Orange County, California, although it is not publicly acknowledged. The

tribal leaders explained to me that the beaches I would be filming on were originally used as rit-

ual sites to worship their sun god which controlled important aspects of their life. At the filming

location, the sun sets over the ocean’s horizon. This plays a large part in the film as it signifies

death and rebirth. This notion was re-affirmed by the stories from the Gabrielino tribe as their

mornings began when the sun would rise in the East and finish when it would set the West.

With the ideology and the symbolism of the film solidified, I began to notice further dis-

parities between my story and the filmmaking industry and process. Two barriers in creating this

project to its full capacity was the lack of a feminine presence in the film industry and the degra-

dation of the environment.

According to Women and Hollywood, only 33% of onscreen roles are women, only 4%

of films were directed by women, only 15% of films were written by women, only 11% of lead-

ing roles were women of color. When choosing to direct a film that is so heavily reliant on 9

women, the lack of women in the film industry could lead to a less authentic version of the story

being told. This led me to look into feminist film theory which has the “aim of understanding

cinema as a cultural practice that represents and reproduces myths about women and

“2018 Statistics.” Women and Hollywood, womenandhollywood.com/resources/statistics/9

2018-statistics/.

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femininity.” Feminist film theory allowed for my criticisms of the way women are portrayed in 10

cinema on and off-screen. This resulted in having an all women-identifying cast and crew for the

film, which can be seen as a feminist critique of the industry as a whole. A similar stance was

taken when considering the environmental aspect of the film.

Respect and love for the environment is a central theme of the film. Yet how could this

theme be carried out effectively when the film industry is a large polluter? It is estimated that the

average feature film produces 500 tons of CO2 emissions which is equivalent to 108 vehicles

driven in one year. To combat this, the film relies on a commitment to service to protect and 11

respect the environment. The production did beach clean-ups while location scouting, carpooled

to location, reduced waste, recycled, educated crew members, and followed guidelines put forth

by the Green Production Guide.

The pre-production process was marked by the creation of the film’s central messages

which led to the implementation of guidelines for production. The motivation behind creating

this film was my feminine connection to the land. This triggered my research on the history of

Mother Nature and also into my personal history as a female filmmaker. Prominent female film-

makers served as a source of inspiration moving forward and helped develop the storytelling po-

tential through visual and narrative ways. Moving into further stages of development, the script

was written and the production execution was planned out.

Smelik, Anneke. (2016). Feminist Film Theory. 10.1002/9781118663219.wbegss148. 10

Hoad, Phil. “Vegan Food, Recycled Tuxedos – and Billions of Tonnes of CO2: Can Hollywood 11

Ever Go Green?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 9 Jan. 2020, www.theguardian.-com/film/2020/jan/09/vegan-food-recycled-tuxedos-and-billions-of-tonnes-of-co2-can-holly-wood-ever-go-green.

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Chapter 2

The Filmmaking Process

From pre-production, to production, to post-production the creation of this film was cen-

tered around the idea of embracing nature and women. Pre-production refers to the process from

the initial concept of the idea to the film's actual recording process. As the creator of this work, I

was responsible for the research, writing, development, and visual conceptualization of the film.

Coming up with the initial idea was relatively easy for me as I have made films about the

environment and films that highlight feminist issues before. The jump to connect the two felt

natural as I grew up in Orange County, CA and spent my days exploring the beauty of the natural

world. For me, nature became highly personal and intertwined with my feminist identity. This

personal anecdote paired with my inspirations and four years of film school led to the creation of

this story.

The beginning of the film signifies birth with the opening shots of a sunrise and with the

introduction of the Baby Girl character. Her struggle throughout the film is to connect with her

mother who can provide for her. The Mother is introduced at midday and her story serves as the

main conflict throughout the film. Her story is marked by her ability to overcome adversity, and

in this case, how she survives a near-death drowning. The next character appears at sunset and is

the wise Grandmother who represents wisdom and letting go. Her wisdom is showcased by her

descending the stairs to the beach, physically allowing herself to observe the other character's

journey of discovery and connection. The final character is the ocean or the embodiment of

Mother Nature herself. This is the element that connects the entire story from the sunrise of the

Baby Girl to the sunset of the Grandmother.

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The character of the Ocean is presented throughout the entirety of the film to emphasize

the story’s pacing and to offer important narrative details. Throughout the film, there is no dia-

logue except for the voice of the Ocean speaking to the characters. This dialogue was created in

the post-production process, but manifested itself in the script through phrases like “the Ocean

whispered to the Mother.” The personification of the Ocean was an important piece to the film-

making process as it engages directly with each character and their conflicts. It also serves as a

pacing device because as the waves grow more frequent the Ocean communicates more. As a

result, the suspense of the film grows.

The final scene of the film deals with the physical connection of the characters and the

death of the Grandmother. For me, this ending is bittersweet and nostalgic because it is the first

time we see the women altogether. It also emphasizes the themes of connectedness through asso-

ciative montage which visually connects the women to nature. With the script drafted, I began to

move into various critique sessions with my peers to ensure the structure and themes of the piece

would come across. Then I began to move into production planning which included casting the

actors, costumes, locations, crew, and budget.

I applied for a multitude of grants for this film and I was a fortunate recipient of an Hon-

ors Source Grant. I also raised additional funds to solidify my budget and then I reached out to

crew members. Filming in California was a major challenge because I didn’t know many people

who would be willing to work on my film for a low fee. Fortunately, I was able to find a group of

hard-working, dedicated women to work on the film solely because they believed in the idea.

From there, my Co-Producer, Director of Photography (DP), Cast, and Costumer were the key

roles that impacted this production the most.

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The producer and I worked tirelessly to secure location permits, talent, and gear for the

film. After many hardships, we were able to secure the permits for a beach in San Clemente for

free. We were not able to obtain permits for filming in Laguna Beach. However, we still filmed

the underwater scenes and Grandmother scenes there. Then the gear had to be rented and took up

a majority of our budget. We rented most of the gear through the DP and through an online rental

program called Sharegrid. The DP and I also worked for weeks on the shot list to convey the

themes visually. Sources of visual inspiration included female filmmakers such as Andrea Arnold

and Ashley Connors. Around the same time, the costumer and I worked to create a wardrobe with

an ethereal and timeless feel. The costumes were also supplied from a second-hand store, fitting

into our sustainability plan.

Next was the casting process which was long and arduous as we auditioned over 100

people for the three roles and it took a majority of three weeks. We decided on our actors based

on their connection to the subject matter, their skills as actors, and their willingness to work in

the harsh outdoor conditions. The audition process was unique because as a director I had each

person come in with an improvised monologue about someone they love in their life. It was

amazing to hear such personal stories and to then move forward in the process with group audi-

tions. The group auditions aimed to see the physical chemistry between actors; for example, see-

ing how they hugged one another or cried together. In the end, our actors were cast because

demonstrated a real physical and emotional connection to one another.

The entire pre-production process took four months from start to finish. Moving into the

production process, a schedule was created that included all the dates, times, carpools, meals,

and logistics. Fortunately, we were able to get free food from local vendors in Orange County to

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support our long 8 hour filming days. It took us three weekends to shoot the film. Weekend one

we focused on all the women together on land, weekend two was all the underwater videography,

and weekend three was pickup shots of the natural world. The process of filming was excruciat-

ing as we filmed outside wet at the beach in the California winter. Luckily my cast and crew

were prepared for this, but we still had our struggles to stay warm and safe. Our preparations in-

cluded having a lifeguard, divemaster, and studio teacher present to help with safety and perfor-

mance of the actors and crew. One disappointment I had during production was I felt like the

camera department wasn’t as prepared as they should have been. As a result, I had to focus on

camera work rather than the actor’s performance. However my actors were very talented and

able to carry themselves. After each day of filming, we were able to reflect on the day's chal-

lenges to remedy them for the next day.

The third weekend of filming came about during the post-production process as we real-

ized we needed more coverage of the ocean to solidify its personification. This was done remote-

ly and I sent the DP a list of shots to film back in California. I then brought a Sound Designer,

Composer, Editor, and Colorist onto the post-production team. The first step was editing the film

to a picture lock meaning the visuals of the piece are locked to work on the sound design. Our

editing strategy was to use associative and emotional techniques to create a rhythm and flow to

the piece. This was the most challenging part for myself as I prefer the pre-production and pro-

duction phases much more. In the first few edits, my peers said they were confused by the intent

and message of the film. My editor and I had to revisit our theoretical techniques to establish the

women as being separate, then the women to be connected, and then the women to be connected

9

to nature. Once the edit was locked the rest of the process moved very quickly into sound design

and coloring.

The sound design relied on the voices of many talented individuals to create the personi-

fication and dreaminess of the ocean. The goal was to use sounds design to accompany and guide

the visuals rather than overpower them. The narration of whispers heard throughout the piece

weas inspired by reading feminist transcendentalist works and by my work with the San

Gabrielino tribe. Finally, we sent the film to a colorist to make the visuals cohesive in terms of

their color palette, temperature, and time of day. Then the credits were added and the film ex-

ported to its final form.

The result as a 10-minute film which I am proud of because I took a theoretical frame-

work and applied it to a piece of work I am truly passionate about. However, none of this would

have been possible without strong sources of inspiration provided by female filmmakers. Their

work inspired me to tell a story that I am passionate about and that can make an impact on the

entertainment industry.

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Chapter 3

Filmmaking Inspiration

I celebrate the work of many female filmmakers who have created movies I admire. Their

work often serves as emotional and visual inspiration. Andrea Arnold, Ava Duvernay, and Greta

Gerwig are some of my favorite female filmmakers that have helped inspire and shape me as an

artist today. Other filmmakers and cinematographers helped solidify the translation of My Body

Is the Land’s themes and messages into a visual language. It is important to acknowledge these

filmmakers impact on the filmmaking process because they affected the ways I communicate as

a storyteller. These filmmakers inspired the films activism, editing strategies, and visual lan-

guage.

Greta Gerwig’s films Frances Ha and Lady Bird signified the first time I felt I could re-

late to female characters in a movie. I had never seen women portrayed in a light that empowered

them outside of the male gaze. Gerwig is an Oscar-nominated director which would have made

her the second woman in history to win the award. To me, her films prove that movies made by 12

women can be funny, sad, inspirational, commercially successful, and can transcend traditional

film barriers placed by the male-dominated industry. Greta was the first female filmmaker I

could identify with and her work inspired me to tell a story made for women by a woman.

Another significant inspiration is Ava Duvernay; her work educates people about social

justice issues in an entertaining way. She was the first African American woman to win or be

nominated for a multitude of awards including best director at Sundance, best director at the

“List of Awards and Nominations Received by Greta Gerwig.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Founda12 -tion, 8 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Gre-ta_Gerwig.

11

Golden Globes, best picture at the Oscars, and for multiple Emmy’s for one series. Her social 13

presence has led to amazing speeches, social media posts, and activism centered around the en-

abling and empowering of women and people of color. Her works Selma, 13th, and When They

See Us demonstrate the importance of representation on and off-screen through activism. What I

admire about her filmography is that it proves social-justice-oriented work can be entertaining

and commercially successful. With Ava’s work as inspiration I knew how important diversity and

inclusion was to me. This led me to reach out to the San Gabrielino tribe. She also inspired me to

be the change I wish to see in the world which manifested itself in the application of sustainabili-

ty guidelines for my set.

Another inspiration is Andrea Arnold who inspires me both through her work as a female

filmmaker, but also because of her powerful visual storytelling. She directed American Honey

and the hit series Big Little Lies which are two of my favorite shows ever created. I admire her

highly visual films and storytelling ability as she delves into the untold lives of her characters.

Big Little Lies served as an important inspiration for my film through the use of the ocean, super-

imposition, and montage.

In Big Little Lies the ocean serves as a truth holding symbol and it is portrayed in a

dreamlike way. This served as a primary aesthetic choice to piece my story’s loose narrative to-

gether. Superimposition was used in this series and my film and it refers to the layering of im-

ages to create a single, more complex image. This is best demonstrated in two specific points

throughout my film; when the Grandmother’s face is superimposed over the sea and when the

Grandmother appears twice in the same frame towards the end of the film. This visual tool aims

“Ava DuVernay.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ava_13 -DuVernay.

12

to link the dream world of superimposition with the reality of the characters. In my case, with the

characters to the sea.

Montage is another tool used to create visual associations and is a technique that is ap-

plied during the post-production process. The entirety of my film can be seen as one large mon-

tage broken up by smaller montages, similar to the Big Little Lies opening sequence. Montage

refers to the editing technique of stringing shots together to form an emotional sequence. My

film relies primarily on the use of associative editing and the Kuleshov Effect.

The Kuleshov Effect is the idea that if you put two images together, the meaning of the

second image changes the meaning of the first. This is demonstrated in my film through the use

of each character's gaze. For example, the Little Girl at the beach or the Grandmother at the

beach simply implies their existence. However, when paired with the images of the drowning

Mother it seems as though the Little Girl lost her mother and the Grandmother is watching her

drown.

Associative editing is aligned with this idea, but creates an association of a topic through

the use of two or more similar images. The best example of this is when the Mother drowns and

her body is gently swirling in the ocean which is placed next to the image of seaweed swirling.

By placing these images together an association is drawn between the Mother and the seaweed

suggesting they are connected through their identity as nature.

Emmanuel Lubezki, Ashley Connor, and Robbie Ryan are Directors of Photography that

offered visual inspiration for my work. Lubezki’s work in Tree of Life was shot using a handheld

camera and uses long takes to emphasize the beauty of nature. In my film, we employed a similar

technique to emphasize a single and complete action of each character. These actions were then

13

used to parallel the women to the environment. For example, in my film when the Grandmother

drops the flower we see the full action which signifies her attachment to the natural world. The

emphasis of the shot is on the beauty of the flower and the presence of the Grandmother. Tree of

Life also served as some storytelling inspiration as the film explores topics of family, life, death,

and nature.

Another cinematographer is Ashley Connors who primarily works with Josephine Deck-

er, another esteemed female filmmaker. Their film Thou Wast Mild and Lovely was shot hand-

held and played with out-of-focus images and the celebration of the natural world. Her view of

landscapes was mimicked in my film as focus pulls in and out creating a dreamlike sequence.

Robbie Ryan is another inspiration and he has worked frequently with Andrea Arnold to

capture images with the finest intimacy. These intimate moments are present throughout my film

in the use of glance and gesture of each of the women. With an emphasis on movement, each

shot relies on the use of focal length to highlight the small details and focus of each frame.

To me, this attention to feminine detail serves as a reminder of why I look up to female

filmmakers so much. I have noticed female filmmakers tell stories with a gentle and intimate

hand such as the way Ava explores the complexities of police brutality in When They See Us, or

when Ashley Connors uses soft focus to communicate the disorientation of a forbidden love in

Thou Wast Mild and Lovely. The celebration of women in film allows for these new storytelling

perspectives that inspire me to create work that rejects the conventional male narrative. Princi-

ples gleaned from these filmmakers for my film are tender, feminine moments that are often

overshadowed and a commitment to service on and off-screen.

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Chapter 4

Praxis and Scope of the Film

As a true passion project, My Body Is the Land was created over the span of my senior

year and serves as an indicator of the positive change I wish to see in the world. The film can be

seen as my process as an artist being met with the progress I wish to see reflected in society. In-

spired by many great filmmakers such as Ava Duvernay or Greta Gerwig, it becomes my respon-

sibility as a filmmaker to communicate important messages to the world.

In the case of my film, I see those messages being implemented through our commitment

to the environment, women, and indigenous culture. The filmmaking ideology placed a tremen-

dous burden on the filmmaking process, but it was worth every hardship because the story, inspi-

ration, and project scope go hand in hand. This film was made with an all-women identifying

cast and crew, created 100% sustainably, sourced locally, inspired by my identity, and enabled

unheard voices to be heard.

As I shared my vision for the film it was met with resistance and finding an all women-

identifying cast and crew was extremely challenging. I frequently heard comments like “who is

going to lift the heavy equipment” or “it’s sexist to not hire men.” However, these comments

missed the point and as I assembled my crew I knew I made the right decision. In the pre-pro-

duction and production phases, I got to hear so many passionate women share their life stories

because I created a safe space for them. Granted some crew member positions were harder to fill

than others simply because women don’t normally work in them. As a result, some of my crew

members needed to be trained on new positions which may have sacrificed some aspects of qual-

ity within the film. I also wish I was able to include more women of color and trans women in

the filmmaking process. However, I tried my best to make a difference in the daunting statistics

15

about female filmmakers. This resulted in empowering women to learn new roles and to increase

their chances of being hired on other projects. This shows that I applied my knowledge and privi-

lege to the filmmaking process while simultaneously learning and growing from it. The princi-

ples of feminism also manifested themselves in the story of the film by showing the power and

beauty of women.

Working with the San Gabrielino tribe fostered a similar experience as they taught me

about the love and kindness in indigenous culture. When I set out to make this film it was in-

spired by my personal, deep connection to the land. However, my ancestors were not the original

inhabitants of this land. I learned from the tribe that the first step to creating positive change is to

acknowledge where you are currently at. In my case, this included the acknowledgment of San

Gabrielino lands and led to me learn about their beautiful culture. When I spoke to some of the

tribal leaders they emphasized the fact that our connection to the land is shared through mutual

respect and gratitude. As I listened to the stories of their ancestors many themes bubbled up that I

see as beautiful universal truths that everyone could learn from. They told me that their kindness

was mistaken as weakness which resulted in the unfortunate pilgrimage of their lands. I saw their

kindness, generosity, respect, and knowledge for this world and I hope that this film highlights

those traits I admire so much. Working with the tribe enabled me to learn about a culture that was

not properly acknowledged in my hometown and I have the privilege as a filmmaker to spread

my findings for others to hear.

Another passion of mine is sustainability and I have now been certified in my knowledge

of sustainability for three years through the One Earth Film Festival. From this knowledge, I can

empower and educate others to make more environmentally friendly choices. The film industry is

a large polluter and individuals often aren’t aware of their impact. Strides have been made in this

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area by following the Green Production Guide which I used to educate my cast and crew on our

environmental impact. Our green production helped us in some areas like saving money by car-

pooling, but also caused some challenges such as shooting with all-natural lighting. Although the

direct impact of my sustainable practices cannot be measured, the cast and crew learned about

sustainability and the challenges we face to be more environmentally friendly. This led to a min-

imized environmental impact and exhibits a deeper connection and understanding of the land

moving forward. The film’s story celebrates a connection to the natural world and ocean and I

hope that the audience, cast, and crew think more about their relationship with the environment.

All of these practices come together to compliment the film's themes of connection,

womanhood, nature and nurture. By educating and entertaining people with this film I hope to

change the narrative of abuse towards women and the environment. Using the trailblazing female

filmmakers who came before me as a guide the film aims to create an emotional response foster-

ing a sense of respect, love, and unity for women and the environment.

With the filmmaking process drawing to an end, I grow more excited to showcase my

film and ideas with the world. The film will be submitted to a multitude of festivals across the

world to ensure my message is heard. There will also be a screening event that will include the

artwork of other underserved voices to continue to empower others.

My goal with this project is to set a precedent for myself and other filmmakers as we con-

tinue to communicate with others. I truly believe that unheard voices should be heard that the

environment should be respected and protected and that women are an essential part of life and

should be treated as such. As I continue on my path as an activist filmmaker I now have the un-

derstanding that doing the right thing might be the hardest, but, it is always worth it.

17

Works Cited

“2018 Statistics.” Women and Hollywood, womenandhollywood.com/resources/statistics/2018-

statistics/.

“Ava DuVernay.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ava

_DuVernay.

“Dewi Sri.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewi_Sri.

Hoad, Phil. “Vegan Food, Recycled Tuxedos – and Billions of Tonnes of CO2: Can Hollywood

Ever Go Green?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 9 Jan. 2020, www.the

guardian.com/film/2020/jan/09/vegan-food-recycled-tuxedos-and-billions-of-tonnes-of-

co2-can-hollywood-ever-go-green.

“List of Awards and Nominations Received by Greta Gerwig.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Founda

tion, 8 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_re

ceived_by_Greta_Gerwig.

“Mother Nature.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moth

er_Nature.

“Pachamama.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Pachamama.

“Phra Mae Thorani.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Phra_Mae_Thorani.

Smelik, Anneke. (2016). Feminist Film Theory. 10.1002/9781118663219.wbegss148.

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Appendices

Link to Film : https://youtu.be/iQwsDEs5XhU