AustLit

'Welcome everyone to another issue of Senses of Cinema, our last for 2020. The year has certainly not panned out the way anyone could have predicted 12 months ago. The COVID pandemic is still raging across the world. While many East Asian nations, New Zealand and parts of Australia are returning to some semblance of normality, Europe is presently being struck by a second wave that threatens to be even more widespread than the first, and the ongoing situation in the United States is exacerbated by that country’s political dysfunction. Our own base of Melbourne entered 100 days of lockdown this weekend, and debate is swirling around when the city can loosen its restrictions on social contact. The effects of the virus will surely be with us for a long time to come.' (Editorial introduction)

'As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on lives and societies around the world, the likes of which we have never seen (except in a disaster movie or dystopian fiction), we wanted to investigate further the impact that lockdowns are having on film viewing. In these frightening times, what role does cinema play? Do we turn to art for a greater sense of human connection and understanding? Do we seek out films from the past, the present? How is film spectatorship impacted under these unique circumstances? How do we compensate for that lack of community that occurs in a theatre-setting? This issue’s COVID dossier aims to present a mosaic of readers’ journeys and trajectories during this time. A common theme is the role of new technologies and platforms in connecting audiences. Kristy Matheson discusses a fascinating program of experimental film put together by Mark Toscano on Instagram called “Remains to be Streamed,” which screens at specific times and days facilitating a sense of audience and ‘shared’ space. For many readers, streaming services and online video-chat tools have re-energised film viewing, and facilitated an exhilarating ability to self-curate. Djoymi Baker explains how watching a film during a pandemic means so many more ‘home-movie’ or ‘documentary’ moments where we see something in a film connected to our real-life – “a fleeting interruption or a deeply felt resonance.” Such a liminal experience is beautifully outlined in Alexandra Trnka’s piece on Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, a film about isolation watched during isolation. For other readers, film viewing during this period has brought to the fore new perspectives, such as Robert Koehler’s fascinating reflection on Hollywood cinema of the 30s and 40s. It’s hard to say what ramifications the shift created by the pandemic will have on film viewing in the future, but it already seems clear that new doors have been opened.' (Editorial introduction)

'In the face of mass death and economic devastation on a worldwide scale, matters of art and entertainment may seem trifling. But the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the cinema. With theatres shuttered, festivals cancelled and film production schedules in disarray, the shutdown mandated across much of the planet has meant that, for the first time since 1895, we are now living in a world without cinema. It is hard, almost impossible, to comprehend.' (Editorial introduction)

'This issue marks the 20th anniversary of Senses of Cinema, and we are pleased to present to you a bumper issue with a full range of film writing, provocative ideas and interviews and reports from around the world. Our dossier this issue posed a very simple question: as we bring the 2010s to a close, what was the most significant influence on or moment in cinema in the past decade? Writers were free to discuss a movement or an incident or a specific film – the breadth of this dossier and the perspectives that people have taken on this are really remarkable. The dossier is designed to be quick, accessible and insightful, so dive in and explore what our very best writers have to say about the 2010s; it makes for fascinating reading, and really encourages us to think about where cinema will be by the end of the ’20s. And to celebrate our anniversary, we have also included an extra mini-dossier of some of the greatest writing from over the last 20 years of this journal. Senses of Cinema has built a tremendous community for film discussion, criticism and writing that is smart, well researched and engaging. This is our opportunity to throw a mini-dossier party to celebrate our achievements and the incredible work of editors past and present, and our vision of our journal as a locus for intelligent film discussion that spans the globe.' (Publication summary)