Dislocated Screen Memory: Narrating Trauma in Post-Yugoslav Cinema

284 Pages·2016·2.488 MB·English

by  Dijana Jelača (auth.)

GLOBAL
CINEMA
Dislocated
Screen
Memory
Narrating Trauma in
Post-Yugoslav Cinema
Dijana Jelača
Dislocated Screen Memory
GLOBALCINEMA
EditedbyKatarzynaMarciniak,AnikóImre,andÁineO’Healy
TheGlobalCinemaseriespublishesinnovativescholarshiponthetransnationalthemes,industries,
economies,andaestheticelementsthatincreasinglyconnectcinemasaroundtheworld.Itpromotes
theoreticallytransformativeandpoliticallychallengingprojectsthatrethinkfilmstudiesfromcross-
cultural,comparativeperspectives,bringingintofocusformsofcinematicproductionthatresist
nationalistorhegemonicframeworks.Ratherthanaimingatcomprehensivegeographicalcover-
age,itforegroundstransnationalinterconnectionsintheproduction,distribution,exhibition,study,
andteachingoffilm.Dedicatedtoglobalaspectsofcinema,thispioneeringseriescombinesorigi-
nalperspectivesandnewmethodologicalpathswithaccessibilityandcoverage.Both“global”and
“cinema”remainopentoarangeofapproachesandinterpretations,newandtraditional.Books
publishedintheseriessustainaspecificconcernwiththemediumofcinemabutdonotdefensively
protecttheboundariesoffilmstudies,recognizingthatfilmexistsinaconvergingmediaenviron-
ment.Theseriesemphasizesahistoricallyexpandedratherthananexclusivelypresentistnotionof
globalization;itismindfulofrepositioning“theglobal”awayfromaUS-centric/Eurocentricgrid
andremainscriticalofcelebratorynotionsof“globalizingfilmstudies.”
KatarzynaMarciniakisaprofessorofTransnationalStudiesintheEnglishDepartmentatOhio
University.
AnikóImreisanassociateprofessorofCriticalStudiesintheSchoolofCinematicArtsattheUni-
versityofSouthernCalifornia.
ÁineO’HealyisaprofessorofModernLanguagesandLiteraturesatLoyolaMarymountUniversity.
PublishedbyPalgraveMacmillan:
PrismaticMedia,TransnationalCircuits:FeminisminaGlobalizedPresent
ByKristaGenevièveLynes
TransnationalStardom:InternationalCelebrityinFilmandPopularCulture
EditedbyRussellMeeufandRaphaelRaphael
SilencingCinema:FilmCensorshiparoundtheWorld
EditedbyDanielBiltereystandRoelVandeWinkel
TheEducationoftheFilmmakerinEurope,Australia,andAsia
EditedbyMetteHjort
TheEducationoftheFilmmakerinAfrica,theMiddleEast,andtheAmericas
EditedbyMetteHjort
BehindtheScreen:InsideEuropeanProductionCultures
EditedbyPetrSzczepanikandPatrickVonderau
NewDocumentariesinLatinAmerica
EditedbyViniciusNavarroandJuanCarlosRodríguez
GlobalMelodrama:Nation,Body,andHistoryinContemporaryCinema
CarlaMarcantonio
DislocatedScreenMemory:NarratingTraumainPost-YugoslavCinema
DijanaJelacˇa
Dislocated Screen Memory
Narrating Trauma in Post-Yugoslav
Cinema
Dijana Jelacˇa
Palgrave
macmillan
DISLOCATEDSCREENMEMORY
Copyright©DijanaJelacˇa2016
Softcoverreprintofthehardcover1stedition2016978-1-137-51577-3
Allrightsreserved.Noreproduction,copyortransmissionofthispublicationmaybe
madewithoutwrittenpermission.Noportionofthispublicationmaybereproduced,
copiedortransmittedsavewithwrittenpermission.Inaccordancewiththeprovisions
oftheCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988,orunderthetermsofanylicence
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Anypersonwhodoesanyunauthorizedactinrelationtothispublicationmaybe
liabletocriminalprosecutionandcivilclaimsfordamages.
Firstpublished2016by
PALGRAVEMACMILLAN
Theauthorhasassertedherrighttobeidentifiedastheauthorofthisworkin
accordancewiththeCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988.
PalgraveMacmillanintheUKisanimprintofMacmillanPublishersLimited,registered
inEngland,companynumber785998,ofHoundmills,Basingstoke,Hampshire,RG21
6XS.
PalgraveMacmillanintheUSisadivisionofNatureAmerica,Inc.,OneNewYork
Plaza,Suite4500,NewYork,NY10004-1562.
PalgraveMacmillanistheglobalacademicimprintoftheabovecompaniesandhas
companiesandrepresentativesthroughouttheworld.
ISBN978-1-349-55887-2
E-PDFISBN:978–1–137–50253–7
DOI:10.1057/9781137502537
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Jelaca,Dijana,1979–
Dislocatedscreenmemory:narratingtraumainPost-Yugoslavcinema/
DijanaJelaca.
pages cm.—(Globalcinema)
Summary:“Thelinksbetweencinemaandwarmachineshavelongbeen
established.Atthesametime,cinemarepresentsanoftenoverlooked,yet
crucialchanneloftacklingthedifficultthemesofpost-traumaticmemory.This
bookexplorestherange,form,andvalencesoftraumanarrativesthatpermeate
themostnotablenarrativefilmsaboutthebreakupofYugoslavia.It
examineshowfilmplaysapartincomingtotermswiththetraumatic
effectsthatwarshaveoncommunities,bywaysofforminganarchiveof
publicallycirculated,mass-mediatedculturalmemories”—Providedbypublisher.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
1. Psychictraumainmotionpictures. 2. Memoryinmotionpictures.
3. Motionpictures—Socialaspects—FormerYugoslavrepublics. I. Title.
PN1995.P7828J472015
791.43(cid:2)6561—dc23 2015019822
AcataloguerecordforthebookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
Tolostchildhoods,acrossborders,andtofamilies,acrossoceans
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Contents
ListofFigures ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction:WarTraumaasScreenMemory 1
1 Yugoslavia’sWars,Cinema,andScreenTrauma 27
2 UnsettlingEmpathies:Screen,Gender,andTraumatic
Memory 59
3 HappilySick:Trauma,Nation,andQueerAffect 103
4 Post-YugoslavHeritageCinemaandtheFuturityofNostalgia 137
5 Youth(Sub)CulturesandtheHabitusofPostmemory 183
Conclusion:TheChild,theQuietWarFilm,andthePowerof
AlternativeScenarios 219
Notes 239
Bibliography 249
Index 261
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Figures
1.1 Re-inscribingthebridgeontheDrinaasasiteoftrauma
bycreatingacinematicmemorial(ForThoseWhoCanTell
NoTales,screengrabs) 46
1.2 Warringmasculinities,perpetratortrauma,andgenre
overtones(TheLivingandtheDead,TheEnemy,The
Blacks,screengrabs) 55
1.3 Levitatingindiaspora(SomeoneElse’sAmerica,screengrab) 58
2.1 Thesequencethatmarksthereturnoftherepressed
(PrettyVillagePrettyFlame,screengrabs) 79
2.2 Thepanningshotofsilentwomen,arrivingataclose-up
ofEsma(Grbavica,screengrabs) 83
2.3 Sarasheddingthepostmemoryoftrauma(Grbavica,
screengrab) 89
2.4 Dream,repetition,melancholia(Snow,screengrabs) 98
3.1 Theirondoorcloses,andthescreenreturnstoaqueer
timeandplace(FineDeadGirls,screengrab) 115
3.2 JohnnyandMarilyninaqueertimeandplace(MarbleAss) 117
3.3 A“traditional”queerwedding(GoWest,screengrab) 125
3.4 Atrans-ethnicsecuritydetail(Parade,screengrab) 134
4.1 Thestagingoftheupsidedownscene(ThreeTicketsto
Hollywood,screengrab) 145
4.2 Ancienthatredsorthereturnoftherepressed?(TheKnife,
screengrab) 155
4.3 Thisstoryhasnoend(Underground,screengrab) 177
5.1 Multiplyingvisions(TilvaRos,screengrab) 195