THE CENTRALITY OF SELF IN RESPONSE TO HUMANITARIANISM: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH TO THE GLOBAL PEACE FILM FESTIVAL by Katherine Wahlberg A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL December, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Katherine Wahlberg ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee, Dr. Stephen Charbonneau, Dr. Susan L. Brown and Dr. Gerald Sim for the guidance that they provided during the writing of this manuscript. I am especially appreciative of my committee chair, Dr. Charbonneau, whose insights helped me to crystallize my thoughts and direct my writing, and whose Skype sessions with me were invaluable. I would also like to thank Dr. Chris Robe for the long conversations that inspired me and guided my way at the beginning of my research. In addition, my gratitude goes to Nina Streich, managing director and Kelly De Vine, artistic director, who both welcomed me to the Global Peace Film Festival and made time to talk with me in support of my research. iv ABSTRACT Author: Katherine Wahlberg Title: The Centrality of Self in Response to Humanitarianism: An Ethnographic Approach to the Global Peace Film Festival Institution: Florida Atlantic University Thesis Advisor: Dr. Stephen Charbonneau Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Year: 2015 This dissertation examines how the Global Peace Film Festival of Orlando, Florida, facilitates the construction of cosmopolitan identities within the context of humanitarianism and activism. An expansion of the notion of “peace” to include multiple levels of meaning is crucial to the identity of the festival, as it allows the screening of an array of films that appeal to the broad range of spectators and community organizations that interact with the event. Within the context of the Global Peace Film Festival, various discourses surrounding peace participate in the process of cognitively mapping the world and situating the self within it as a cosmopolitan citizen. The centrality of the self is key to understanding how audiences create solidarity with the other, and how they might choose to respond to appeals for humanitarian aid. The contemporary humanitarian imaginary builds solidarity between the viewer and the other-in-need in a manner that is rooted in self-reflection, creating an ironic spectator of vulnerable others and setting the v stage for solutions to humanitarian problems that fit into personal lifestyle choices. This study examines the complexity inherent to the articulation between producers, audiences and films, and how meaning is negotiated on a local level. Witnessing and testimonial are key practices for engaging spectators, and the testimonial encounter has a transformative power for audiences that may be channeled into various responses to calls for action. An emerging practice is significant as well, a new situatedness of the documentary filmmaker as a central figure in the promotion of both films and humanitarian causes. This practice provides a role for the filmmaker as both entrepreneur and activist, easing the tension between the goals of humanitarianism and capitalistic concerns, while positioning the film as a tool rather than an aesthetic object and echoing the preeminence of self in our contemporary society. The Global Peace Film festival takes an innovative approach to promoting change, moving from a traditional exhibition model to an “engagement” model that focuses on the involvement of the local community. vi DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my husband, Andy, whose endless love, support and enthusiasm for my work was invaluable to the completion of this project, and to my sister Merriet, whose passing was too early and whose scholarship has been an inspiration to me for my entire life. I would also like to dedicate my writing to my children, Meg and Kurt, who have always unconditionally believed in my talents and applauded my endeavors. Others in my very large family have been a great support as I have been completing this project, especially my sister Dolly, who encouraged me and allowed me to disappear for large stretches of time and my niece Stefanie, who was constant in “rooting me on.” A special thank you to my cousin-in-law, Mary Ellen Loffler, who let me stay on her boat while attending classes and provided me with many an hour of delightful conversation. THE CENTRALITY OF SELF IN RESPONSE TO HUMANITARIANISM: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH TO THE GLOBAL PEACE FILM FESTIVAL I. Introduction and Literature Review .................................................................................1 The Study of Media in Anthropology ......................................................................5 The Power of Media/Agency of the Consumer .......................................................7 Practice Theory: Media and Practice .....................................................................10 Film Festival Studies..............................................................................................16 Cosmopolitan Identities .........................................................................................25 Socioeconomic Changes and the Context of Independent/Documentary Film .....31 Sociopolitical Changes Since the 1990s ................................................................34 Audiences and the Contemporary Humanitarian Imaginary .................................36 The Documentary Film ..........................................................................................39 Activist and Human Rights Film Festivals ............................................................47 The Global Peace Film Festival .............................................................................51 II. Methodology .................................................................................................................55 Scope of the Study .................................................................................................55 Research Objectives ...............................................................................................58 The Research Site ..................................................................................................59 The Study Population .............................................................................................60 Data Collection: Participant Observation ..............................................................61 Volunteering ..........................................................................................................62 vii Interviewing ...........................................................................................................63 Other Activities ......................................................................................................66 Data Analysis .........................................................................................................68 III. The Structure of the Festival .......................................................................................71 The Setting: Orlando, Winter Park and the Orange County Area .........................72 Historical Perspective ............................................................................................77 The Structure of the Festival ..................................................................................80 Programs ................................................................................................................84 Financial Considerations ........................................................................................88 Festival Events and In-kind Donations ..................................................................90 Major Sponsors ......................................................................................................92 Venues and Their Audiences .................................................................................94 Surveying the Audience .........................................................................................97 Global Peace Film Festival Volunteers..................................................................98 Online Presence of the Festival............................................................................101 Conclusions ..........................................................................................................104 IV. Audiences and Activism ............................................................................................108 The Discourse of Peace as a Defining Characteristic ................................................108 Cosmopolitan Identities .............................................................................................111 Solidarity and the Role of Self in Humanitarianism ..................................................113 Agency and Representation .......................................................................................118 Lifestyle Politics ........................................................................................................122 Other Calls to Action .................................................................................................126 viii Theatricality, the Self and the Humanitarian Imaginary ............................................128 V. Programming Goals and Aesthetics: Seeking an Identity...........................................136