'Welcome to Issue 108 of Senses of Cinema, where we begin the year by looking backwards. Our World Poll brings together film-goers from all corners of the globe to reflect on what cinema stood out in 2023. Amid a turbulent, crisis-ridden world, images continue to be propelled into motion as the dialogue between audiences and auteurs remains. We extend our gratitude to Joanna Batsakis, who provided editorial support to this years edition of the World Poll.' (Editorial introduction)
'This dossier represents emerging writers from RMIT University’s undergraduate Film Genre course, as they explore ways that an individual film may use, knowingly play with or revise genre tropes, in the midst of other artistic, industrial and socio-historical factors. The ubiquity with which the idea of genre circulates in popular culture may potentially present a somewhat misleading picture of consensus that the course then problematises and unpacks over a semester. As Steve Neale points out, genre does not merely consist of a set of “conventions” used within films, but also “systems of expectation and hypothesis” among audience members. In turn, these genre expectations can be influenced by marketing materials and reviews. Films that were first marketed as one genre can be subsequently re-labelled as another genre by scholars and critics, or by the industry itself. In the contemporary era, streaming services frequently use multiple and sometimes “oddly specific” genre labels, in ways that challenge a dominant idea expressed by Rick Altman that “if it is not defined by the industry and recognized by the mass audience, then it cannot be a genre. As such, while the repetition of recognisable codes and labels may be central to our understanding of genre, so too variation in how genre is used – by filmmakers, the film industry, and audiences – is also key to the genre system.' (Introduction)
'Richard Lowenstein’s 2001 film He Died with a Felafel in His Hand, a loose adaptation of John Birmingham’s 1994 memoir of the same title, follows Danny (Noah Taylor) with his typewriter and guitar in pursuit of love and meaning through his account of the share-house experience in Australia’s major cities. While the film might be more fitting under the ‘black comedy’ subgenre, its narrative and structure suggests a prolonged coming-of-age for those living in Australia in their mid to late 20s. For Danny in He Died with a Felafel in His Hand, this means watching from afar as the people of his past tie the knot, and discovering who he is, while navigating the at times chaotic share-house experience.' (Introduction)
It’s been six years since the passing of the marriage equality act, and 43 years since the decriminalization of homosexuality in Victoria (1980). With the teaching of Queer sexual education, with programs like Safe Schools, and national access to PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure), it is hard for today’s Queer youth to imagine the dangerous, devasting HIV/AIDS epidemic that faced gay men in Australia, and around the world in the 1980s and ‘90s. Neil Armfield’s Australian Drama Holding the Man (2015) is based on Timothy Conigrave’s memoir of the same title. Conigrave completed the memoir on his death bed, and it was published just months after his 1994 AIDs-related death. The Queer-romance film authentically portrays Australia’s 1970s and the navigation of a schoolboy romance and homosexual relationship, disrupted by the 1980s HIV crisis. The movie not only embraces gay identity but also captures the warmth amidst the frightening challenges faced by the gay community, including widespread gay bashings, public outings, and family disownments. By blending biographical and romance genre conventions, Holding the Man goes beyond storytelling; it becomes a powerful tribute to the resilience of Queer Australia during a tumultuous era, shedding light on impactful civil rights movements such as the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP Inc). Most importantly, it stands as a testament to the enduring strength of same-sex love, defiantly flourishing amidst Australia’s authoritarian oppression.' (Introduction)
'In 2022 the National Film and Sound Archive acquired the hand-made filmmaking material Paul Winkler constructed to make his innovative films from the the 1960’s to the present. Winkler is packing up his practice bags. His successful graphic cinema originated on his 1959 arrival in Australia. A basic 8mm film documenting his journey from Germany to Australia by motorbike was an early foray into cinema. Winkler later participated in Sydney’s Yellow House Art events with Albie Thoms and David Perry. The minimalist 16mm work Brickwall (1975), rendering the act of bricklaying, is considered a classic Australian experimental film.' (Introduction)
