Date of Award
December 2021
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
English
First Advisor
Tami Williams
Committee Members
Gilberto Blasini, Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece, Richard Popp
Keywords
Cinematic Realisms, Film aesthetics, Film production, Ramin Bahrani, U.S. Independent Cinema
Abstract
This dissertation examines the first six U.S. feature films of Iranian-American director Ramin Bahrani in order to explore key connections between various industrially independent production modes and the aesthetic and ideological qualities of the films. Bahrani’s films are divided into three distinct periods based on the production mode in which he was working at the time, here characterized as microbudget, guerilla-style independent, Indiewood, and digital streaming productions. Each chapter explores the production mode in question, including production histories of the relevant films, and then discusses key connections arising between production strategies, aesthetics, and the films’ ideological and historical import. Ultimately this dissertation raises questions about how what “independence” means in a contemporary and increasingly digital filmmaking landscape, as well as how audiences are asked to receive and understand socio-politically engaged films via aesthetics, production narratives, and exhibition context.
Recommended Citation
Miner, Kyle, "Narratives of Crisis and Independent Cinema: Production, Aesthetics, and Ideology in the Films of Ramin Bahrani" (2021). Theses and Dissertations. 2815.
https://dc.uwm.edu/etd/2815