Agata Lulkowska | Staffordshire University (original) (raw)
Papers by Agata Lulkowska
A plethora of films and other audiovisual forms is presented annually in various parts of the glo... more A plethora of films and other audiovisual forms is presented annually in various parts of the globe. Film festivals, regular screenings, academic presentations, and broadcast media channels, not even mentioning the omnipresent Internet sources, offer an ever-increasing number of films of various genre and origin. This abundance of productions requires some system of categorisation for the audiences in order to help them find a way in this profusion of choices. One of the most commonly used methods to help navigate in this chaos is by categorising the films by their types, genres, directors, or countries of origin. These ‘labels’ often relate to set of commonly shared preconceptions. As a result, they create expectations, influencing potential audiences not only in the choice of what they will watch or not but often also in the perception of the film. Additionally, the venue and the type of the event where these films get to be presented might profoundly affect their reception, i.e. ‘ethnographic’ film festival will have a different kind of audiences and expectations to an ‘artistic’ one. This paper explores the mainstream ambitions of indigenous filmmakers from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Using the example of the Arhuaco filmmaking collectives, Zhigoneshi and Yokosowi, and their supporters, I analyse the aims to transcend the boundaries of what is labelled as ‘indigenous cinema’. In the contexts of the historical misinterpretations of the Arhuaco culture by the Western filmmakers and the violence of the region, they reached for the audiovisual media to communicate, promote, and rediscover the indigenous values of their community. This resulted in far-reaching initiatives which not only rediscovered the Arhuaco history but also redefined indigenous filmmaking in the region
This paper analyses the emerging trend of transcending the limitations of so-called indigenous ci... more This paper analyses the emerging trend of transcending the limitations of so-called indigenous cinema in the attempt to reach much wider audiences within mainstream circles. Using the case study of the Arhuaco filmmakers from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, this paper demonstrates how filmmaking practice which was initiated to give evidence of violence and repression in the region, become a handy tool to reach intercultural communication. Ethnographic methods applied in this research draw on my extensive fieldwork with the Arhuacos, which resulted in the production of a collaborative documentary focusing on their filmmaking. This investigation demonstrates that film can successfully function as a form of intercultural communication. Finally, this paper considers the possibility of breaking the long-established boundaries between mainstream and indigenous cinema. It concludes with an optimistic suggestion that the film's universal values make it a potentially very eff...
Practice-based research, under may names and sub-categories, has been present and increasingly vi... more Practice-based research, under may names and sub-categories, has been present and increasingly vibrant (although mostly limited in its recognition to the UK and Australia) for several decades now. A number of rich, insightful texts have been written about the phenomenon, and some significant work has been done towards academia's recognition of practice-based research as a legitimate and valuable form of new contribution to knowledge. Not to mention some fantastic and innovative creative practice work that keeps appearing and inspiring myself and others alike. For someone who has struggled with her professional identity for a very long time (keeping my creative and intellectual hungers separate, not knowing how to reconcile both in one coherent action-after all, who would be the target audience for that!?), the realisation that there IS a legitimate space on the crossroads between creative world and academia was a very joyful one. It would be too optimistic, however, to claim that there are no struggles for those engaged in creative practice research. There are still numerous challenges with the identity of many such works, difficulties to manage disciplinary rules, which, in turn, lead to often confused expectations of supervisors, examiners, funding bodies, publishers, and HE institution, let alone the audiences. With great examples of practice-based work comes a question: not only what this kind of research means, but how do we go about it, nurture it, train and support new creative practitioners, and, why do we do in in the first place. This Special Issue and all the widespread work surrounding it, comes from a genuine passion. What keeps me happy and motivated every day are the vast possibilities of practicebased research, the joy of creativity is promises, it's rebellious potential (who doesn't appreciate that!), but also the amazing opportunities it brings. I truly believe that creative An interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed and open access academic journal devoted to pushing forward the approaches to and possibilities for publishing creative media-based research.
Cuadernos de Música, Artes Visuales y Artes Escénicas, 2021
Reflexive article based on a collaborative investigation with the Zhigoneshi collective back in 2... more Reflexive article based on a collaborative investigation with the Zhigoneshi collective back in 2015-2016.
This article provides an overview of the state of the film industry during the pandemic. It elabo... more This article provides an overview of the state of the film industry during the pandemic. It elaborates on the potential ways to survive the impasse. Finally, it elaborates on the positive impact of cinema on ou wellbeing.
This thesis focusses on the contemporary politics of visual representations among the indigenous ... more This thesis focusses on the contemporary politics of visual representations among the indigenous communities of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. It discusses various methods used to represent the ‘Other’ and reflects on the processes of practicebased research. Centering on the figure of the Arhuaco filmmaker Amado Villafana and the Zhigoneshi and Yokosovi Collectives which he leads, the thesis argues that his initiatives push indigenous filmmaking towards a more widespread inclusion in mainstream cinema, transcending beyond the indigenous context. The Zhigoneshi’s work focusses on the potentiality of intercultural communication, including its challenges and practicalities. In addition, it provides an alternative to non-indigenous representations of the ‘Other’, fighting for the right of self-representation. This thesis is concerned with the wider context of representing the ‘Other’ in Colombia and beyond, forming part of a practice-based research project which includes a coll...
An analysis of Oscars 2020 and the spectacular win of "Parasite" by a Korean director B... more An analysis of Oscars 2020 and the spectacular win of "Parasite" by a Korean director Bong Joon-ho. Could this be the start of a new trend for foreign films to become more mainstream?
When Gustaf Bolinder, a Swedish ethnographer, conducted his fieldwork in the Sierra Nevada de San... more When Gustaf Bolinder, a Swedish ethnographer, conducted his fieldwork in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in the early 20th century, he thought he was documenting disappearing cultures inhabiting that picturesque part of Colombia. A century later, a group of prolific indigenous communicators from the region used Bolinder’s images as an inspiration to re-enact their traumatic history. The Zhigoneshi collective, led by the Arhuaco Amado Villafana, became the voice of the region and role model spokespeople for many indigenous communities of Latin America. Taken out of the original contexts, Bolinder’s images acquired more flexible meaning than initially intended. To add to the complexity of the re-appropriation of meaning, Villafana bases his filmmaking on the idea of creating a dialogue with more contemporary (mis-)representations of his culture. As a result, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta became a battleground for interpretation and meaning of the images taken in the Sierra by differen...
A short analysis of the global rise of South Korean film on the example of 'Parasite&... more A short analysis of the global rise of South Korean film on the example of 'Parasite' by Bong Joon-ho
Film on Demand is a webinar delivered in collaboration with Prof. Piotr Siuda from Kazimierz Wiel... more Film on Demand is a webinar delivered in collaboration with Prof. Piotr Siuda from Kazimierz Wielki University in Poland. In this presentation, we discuss the questions of movie therapy, videos on demand and the evolution of reception practices, industry adjustments (in the face of the pandemic), including the new status quo, future possibilities, including the renaissance of the drive-in cinema, and finally the reasons why it's difficult to give up on the magic of silver screen.
Anthrovision, 2019
for allowing me to conduct this research. Pablo Mora enabled my initial contact with the Arhuaco ... more for allowing me to conduct this research. Pablo Mora enabled my initial contact with the Arhuaco filmmakers, and Amado Villafaña accepted me as the temporary addition to his filming crew, which gave me the most direct access to my participants' work. I formed an integral part of their team for four months (September 2015-December 2015). Additionally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Luciana Martins for her constant guidance with my research, as well as to Omar Sarmiento for his continuous support and intellectual stimulation. Without them, and the many other people who made my project possible, this research would not have reached its current stage.
Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews, 2019
Cuadernos de Música, Artes Visuales y Artes Escénicas, 2021
Can filmmaking as a form of intercultural communication serve as an apparatus for selfidentificat... more Can filmmaking as a form of intercultural communication serve as an apparatus for selfidentification and cultural opposition to established North/West knowledge pro- duction hubs? Based on extensive fieldwork in the Sierra Nevada and detailed analysis of the Arhucao films and their production and distribution strategies, this article explores the possibility of utilising film and audio-visual communication as a way to decolonise local knowledge. Following decades of persecutions, hostility, illtreatment and cultural violence, the work of Zhigoneshi (and, later, Yosokwi) communication col- lectives not only helped to nourish the cultural identity of the indigenous communities of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, but it also turned them into proud ambassadors of indigenous values on the international level. Prolific in their internal and external com- munication practices, they regained agency as full participants of intercultural dialogue, which focuses on the importance of the inclusion...
Whose impact is it? A decolonised approach in intercultural communication and creative methods in practice-based research, 2022
This project report focuses on the complexities, dynamics and impacts of intercultural communicat... more This project report focuses on the complexities, dynamics and impacts of intercultural communication, with the example of indigenous video productions by the Zhigoneshi Collective from the Arhuaco community in Colombia. A decade-long filmmaking journey undertaken by the collective targeted the violent political situation in the region and challenged some of the past films made about the community by external filmmakers. A collaborative self-reflective research film concludes the project; it explores the researcher’s positionality, inevitable power struggles, tensions around indigenous agency, intellectual ownership of the footage, politics of representation (who has the right to represent whom) and the importance of contexts of dissemination. More importantly, it explores the complex role of external filmmakers who must strike a balance between inevitable pre-assumptions, cultural stereotyping and their own privileged positionality.
This paper investigates the way violence and forced displacement among the indigenous communities... more This paper investigates the way violence and forced displacement among the indigenous communities of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta contributed to their self-representation initiatives. Using the case study of Amado Villafana, an Arhuaco filmmaker, this paper draws on extensive fieldwork in the Sierra which explored indigenous filmmaking and resulted in a collaborative documentary made with the protagonists. This paper demonstrates how violence in the region transformed Villafana, the leader of Centro de Comunicaciones Zhigoneshi y Realizaciones Yokosovi, from a humble farmer to internationally recognised ambassador of the Arhuacos, and a charismatic promotor of indigenous filmmaking in Colombia and beyond. In the course of this research, it became clear that Villafana's film initiatives did not result from artistic ambitions among the Arhuacos, but were a direct response to the brutal reality. The films made by the collective serve as a testimony, therapy, and a means of inte...
A plethora of films and other audiovisual forms is presented annually in various parts of the glo... more A plethora of films and other audiovisual forms is presented annually in various parts of the globe. Film festivals, regular screenings, academic presentations, and broadcast media channels, not even mentioning the omnipresent Internet sources, offer an ever-increasing number of films of various genre and origin. This abundance of productions requires some system of categorisation for the audiences in order to help them find a way in this profusion of choices. One of the most commonly used methods to help navigate in this chaos is by categorising the films by their types, genres, directors, or countries of origin. These ‘labels’ often relate to set of commonly shared preconceptions. As a result, they create expectations, influencing potential audiences not only in the choice of what they will watch or not but often also in the perception of the film. Additionally, the venue and the type of the event where these films get to be presented might profoundly affect their reception, i.e. ‘ethnographic’ film festival will have a different kind of audiences and expectations to an ‘artistic’ one. This paper explores the mainstream ambitions of indigenous filmmakers from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Using the example of the Arhuaco filmmaking collectives, Zhigoneshi and Yokosowi, and their supporters, I analyse the aims to transcend the boundaries of what is labelled as ‘indigenous cinema’. In the contexts of the historical misinterpretations of the Arhuaco culture by the Western filmmakers and the violence of the region, they reached for the audiovisual media to communicate, promote, and rediscover the indigenous values of their community. This resulted in far-reaching initiatives which not only rediscovered the Arhuaco history but also redefined indigenous filmmaking in the region
This paper analyses the emerging trend of transcending the limitations of so-called indigenous ci... more This paper analyses the emerging trend of transcending the limitations of so-called indigenous cinema in the attempt to reach much wider audiences within mainstream circles. Using the case study of the Arhuaco filmmakers from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, this paper demonstrates how filmmaking practice which was initiated to give evidence of violence and repression in the region, become a handy tool to reach intercultural communication. Ethnographic methods applied in this research draw on my extensive fieldwork with the Arhuacos, which resulted in the production of a collaborative documentary focusing on their filmmaking. This investigation demonstrates that film can successfully function as a form of intercultural communication. Finally, this paper considers the possibility of breaking the long-established boundaries between mainstream and indigenous cinema. It concludes with an optimistic suggestion that the film's universal values make it a potentially very eff...
Practice-based research, under may names and sub-categories, has been present and increasingly vi... more Practice-based research, under may names and sub-categories, has been present and increasingly vibrant (although mostly limited in its recognition to the UK and Australia) for several decades now. A number of rich, insightful texts have been written about the phenomenon, and some significant work has been done towards academia's recognition of practice-based research as a legitimate and valuable form of new contribution to knowledge. Not to mention some fantastic and innovative creative practice work that keeps appearing and inspiring myself and others alike. For someone who has struggled with her professional identity for a very long time (keeping my creative and intellectual hungers separate, not knowing how to reconcile both in one coherent action-after all, who would be the target audience for that!?), the realisation that there IS a legitimate space on the crossroads between creative world and academia was a very joyful one. It would be too optimistic, however, to claim that there are no struggles for those engaged in creative practice research. There are still numerous challenges with the identity of many such works, difficulties to manage disciplinary rules, which, in turn, lead to often confused expectations of supervisors, examiners, funding bodies, publishers, and HE institution, let alone the audiences. With great examples of practice-based work comes a question: not only what this kind of research means, but how do we go about it, nurture it, train and support new creative practitioners, and, why do we do in in the first place. This Special Issue and all the widespread work surrounding it, comes from a genuine passion. What keeps me happy and motivated every day are the vast possibilities of practicebased research, the joy of creativity is promises, it's rebellious potential (who doesn't appreciate that!), but also the amazing opportunities it brings. I truly believe that creative An interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed and open access academic journal devoted to pushing forward the approaches to and possibilities for publishing creative media-based research.
Cuadernos de Música, Artes Visuales y Artes Escénicas, 2021
Reflexive article based on a collaborative investigation with the Zhigoneshi collective back in 2... more Reflexive article based on a collaborative investigation with the Zhigoneshi collective back in 2015-2016.
This article provides an overview of the state of the film industry during the pandemic. It elabo... more This article provides an overview of the state of the film industry during the pandemic. It elaborates on the potential ways to survive the impasse. Finally, it elaborates on the positive impact of cinema on ou wellbeing.
This thesis focusses on the contemporary politics of visual representations among the indigenous ... more This thesis focusses on the contemporary politics of visual representations among the indigenous communities of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. It discusses various methods used to represent the ‘Other’ and reflects on the processes of practicebased research. Centering on the figure of the Arhuaco filmmaker Amado Villafana and the Zhigoneshi and Yokosovi Collectives which he leads, the thesis argues that his initiatives push indigenous filmmaking towards a more widespread inclusion in mainstream cinema, transcending beyond the indigenous context. The Zhigoneshi’s work focusses on the potentiality of intercultural communication, including its challenges and practicalities. In addition, it provides an alternative to non-indigenous representations of the ‘Other’, fighting for the right of self-representation. This thesis is concerned with the wider context of representing the ‘Other’ in Colombia and beyond, forming part of a practice-based research project which includes a coll...
An analysis of Oscars 2020 and the spectacular win of "Parasite" by a Korean director B... more An analysis of Oscars 2020 and the spectacular win of "Parasite" by a Korean director Bong Joon-ho. Could this be the start of a new trend for foreign films to become more mainstream?
When Gustaf Bolinder, a Swedish ethnographer, conducted his fieldwork in the Sierra Nevada de San... more When Gustaf Bolinder, a Swedish ethnographer, conducted his fieldwork in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in the early 20th century, he thought he was documenting disappearing cultures inhabiting that picturesque part of Colombia. A century later, a group of prolific indigenous communicators from the region used Bolinder’s images as an inspiration to re-enact their traumatic history. The Zhigoneshi collective, led by the Arhuaco Amado Villafana, became the voice of the region and role model spokespeople for many indigenous communities of Latin America. Taken out of the original contexts, Bolinder’s images acquired more flexible meaning than initially intended. To add to the complexity of the re-appropriation of meaning, Villafana bases his filmmaking on the idea of creating a dialogue with more contemporary (mis-)representations of his culture. As a result, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta became a battleground for interpretation and meaning of the images taken in the Sierra by differen...
A short analysis of the global rise of South Korean film on the example of 'Parasite&... more A short analysis of the global rise of South Korean film on the example of 'Parasite' by Bong Joon-ho
Film on Demand is a webinar delivered in collaboration with Prof. Piotr Siuda from Kazimierz Wiel... more Film on Demand is a webinar delivered in collaboration with Prof. Piotr Siuda from Kazimierz Wielki University in Poland. In this presentation, we discuss the questions of movie therapy, videos on demand and the evolution of reception practices, industry adjustments (in the face of the pandemic), including the new status quo, future possibilities, including the renaissance of the drive-in cinema, and finally the reasons why it's difficult to give up on the magic of silver screen.
Anthrovision, 2019
for allowing me to conduct this research. Pablo Mora enabled my initial contact with the Arhuaco ... more for allowing me to conduct this research. Pablo Mora enabled my initial contact with the Arhuaco filmmakers, and Amado Villafaña accepted me as the temporary addition to his filming crew, which gave me the most direct access to my participants' work. I formed an integral part of their team for four months (September 2015-December 2015). Additionally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Luciana Martins for her constant guidance with my research, as well as to Omar Sarmiento for his continuous support and intellectual stimulation. Without them, and the many other people who made my project possible, this research would not have reached its current stage.
Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews, 2019
Cuadernos de Música, Artes Visuales y Artes Escénicas, 2021
Can filmmaking as a form of intercultural communication serve as an apparatus for selfidentificat... more Can filmmaking as a form of intercultural communication serve as an apparatus for selfidentification and cultural opposition to established North/West knowledge pro- duction hubs? Based on extensive fieldwork in the Sierra Nevada and detailed analysis of the Arhucao films and their production and distribution strategies, this article explores the possibility of utilising film and audio-visual communication as a way to decolonise local knowledge. Following decades of persecutions, hostility, illtreatment and cultural violence, the work of Zhigoneshi (and, later, Yosokwi) communication col- lectives not only helped to nourish the cultural identity of the indigenous communities of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, but it also turned them into proud ambassadors of indigenous values on the international level. Prolific in their internal and external com- munication practices, they regained agency as full participants of intercultural dialogue, which focuses on the importance of the inclusion...
Whose impact is it? A decolonised approach in intercultural communication and creative methods in practice-based research, 2022
This project report focuses on the complexities, dynamics and impacts of intercultural communicat... more This project report focuses on the complexities, dynamics and impacts of intercultural communication, with the example of indigenous video productions by the Zhigoneshi Collective from the Arhuaco community in Colombia. A decade-long filmmaking journey undertaken by the collective targeted the violent political situation in the region and challenged some of the past films made about the community by external filmmakers. A collaborative self-reflective research film concludes the project; it explores the researcher’s positionality, inevitable power struggles, tensions around indigenous agency, intellectual ownership of the footage, politics of representation (who has the right to represent whom) and the importance of contexts of dissemination. More importantly, it explores the complex role of external filmmakers who must strike a balance between inevitable pre-assumptions, cultural stereotyping and their own privileged positionality.
This paper investigates the way violence and forced displacement among the indigenous communities... more This paper investigates the way violence and forced displacement among the indigenous communities of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta contributed to their self-representation initiatives. Using the case study of Amado Villafana, an Arhuaco filmmaker, this paper draws on extensive fieldwork in the Sierra which explored indigenous filmmaking and resulted in a collaborative documentary made with the protagonists. This paper demonstrates how violence in the region transformed Villafana, the leader of Centro de Comunicaciones Zhigoneshi y Realizaciones Yokosovi, from a humble farmer to internationally recognised ambassador of the Arhuacos, and a charismatic promotor of indigenous filmmaking in Colombia and beyond. In the course of this research, it became clear that Villafana's film initiatives did not result from artistic ambitions among the Arhuacos, but were a direct response to the brutal reality. The films made by the collective serve as a testimony, therapy, and a means of inte...
The International Journal of Creative Media Research , 2022
Practice-based research, under may names and sub-categories, has been present and increasingly vi... more Practice-based research, under may names and sub-categories, has been present and increasingly vibrant (although mostly limited in its recognition to the UK and Australia) for several decades now. A number of rich, insightful texts have been written about the phenomenon, and some significant work has been done towards academia's recognition of practice-based research as a legitimate and valuable form of new contribution to knowledge. Not to mention some fantastic and innovative creative practice work that keeps appearing and inspiring myself and others alike. For someone who has struggled with her professional identity for a very long time (keeping my creative and intellectual hungers separate, not knowing how to reconcile both in one coherent action-after all, who would be the target audience for that!?), the realisation that there IS a legitimate space on the crossroads between creative world and academia was a very joyful one. It would be too optimistic, however, to claim that there are no struggles for those engaged in creative practice research. There are still numerous challenges with the identity of many such works, difficulties to manage disciplinary rules, which, in turn, lead to often confused expectations of supervisors, examiners, funding bodies, publishers, and HE institution, let alone the audiences. With great examples of practice-based work comes a question: not only what this kind of research means, but how do we go about it, nurture it, train and support new creative practitioners, and, why do we do in in the first place. This Special Issue and all the widespread work surrounding it, comes from a genuine passion. What keeps me happy and motivated every day are the vast possibilities of practicebased research, the joy of creativity is promises, it's rebellious potential (who doesn't appreciate that!), but also the amazing opportunities it brings. I truly believe that creative An interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed and open access academic journal devoted to pushing forward the approaches to and possibilities for publishing creative media-based research.
Communities and Communication 2021- conference and festival programme, 2021
The official programme for 1st international interdisciplinary conference and festival, Communiti... more The official programme for 1st international interdisciplinary conference and festival, Communities and Communication 2021, with the theme: connections.
