Week 7 Notes: Multicultural and Cross-Cultural Encounters in Australian Screen

Overview

  • Week 7 focuses on multicultural and cross-cultural encounters in cinema and, to an extent, television in Australia.
  • In the 1990s there was a concerted push to diversify screen content to reflect Australia’s changing demographic makeup.
  • Funding mechanisms and policy changes drive the Australian screen industry, including tax incentives and targeted funding for culturally favored projects.
  • The Australian Public Broadcaster role (SBS) and government-linked funding create space for diverse stories.
  • The early 1990s glitter cycle marks a wave of mainstream Australian filmmaking with glamour, performance, and urban settings that still retain a distinctly Australian character.
  • Diasporic identity and queer representations are central to many of these discussions, with television (e.g., Number 96) offering space for more diverse discussions than film to date.
  • Key terms introduced: diaspora, andro nationalism, ochre/ocka comedies, polysemic broadcasting, accented filmmaking.

Key Concepts

  • Diaspora
    • Original sense: the scattering of Jewish peoples across the world, exile from homeland, and forming collective identities in new locales.
    • Expanded usage: a broader sense of migration and culture across borders, e.g., Chinese, Italian, Greek, Vietnamese diasporas, etc., with a maintained sense of cultural “Chineseness,” “Italianness,” etc., in host countries.
    • In discussion: films about migrant families and communities in Australia (e.g., Cantonese-speaking families in Floating Life).
  • Diaspora in film and TV
    • Diasporic identity often foregrounds hybrid identities, multilingualism, and journeys across borders.
  • Andro nationalism (as discussed by Peter C. Kunze)
    • The conflation of masculinist and nationalist interests, producing images of Australia as a masculine, robust, independent nation.
    • Often linked to classic Australian cinema (e.g., Crocodile Dundee, Man from Snowy River) and contrasted with the more nuanced reality of Australian society.
  • Ocker/Ocher comedies (referenced as ochre comedies)
    • A tradition in Australian cinema that the glitter cycle revisits and retools, blending recognisable Australian archetypes with a more flamboyant, international sensibility.
  • Glitter cycle (1990s)
    • A cluster of films produced under specific funding aimed at international and domestic markets.
    • Characterised by glamour, performance, and a certain flamboyance, yet anchored in recognisably Australian settings and concerns.
    • Often had substantial international financing (e.g., French money) and aimed for international film festival exposure as well as local success.
  • Television vs. film audiences
    • TV tends to be more polysemic and locally targeted, allowing broad representation and ongoing character storytelling (e.g., No. 96).
    • Film aims to reach international audiences and often relies on recognizable Australian stereotypes for broader appeal, but glitter cycle films redefine and revise those tropes.
  • Accented filmmaking (Naficy)
    • Three types: exilic, diasporic, postcolonial ethnic.
    • Stylistic tendencies include accented speech, asynchronous sound, multilinguality, and a focus on the lost homeland or diaspora identity.
  • Channel O and SBS
    • Channel O (early Channel O programming) promoted unity in diversity and showcased migrant voices.
    • SBS (established 1980) served growing migrant communities with programming in various languages.
  • Creative Nation and multicultural policy (Australia, 1994)
    • Policy under the Keating Labour government to foster cultural pluralism and make arts accessible to all Australians.
    • Aimed to increase participation of people from non-English-speaking backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in creative sectors.
    • Related to export strategies by linking cultures and markets across Europe and Asia.

Policy Context and Institutions

  • 1980: SBS established to serve migrant communities with multilingual content.
  • 1984: New South Wales decriminalizes homosexuality (alongside wider civil rights movements in Australia).
  • Late 1970s–1980s: Gay and lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney becomes a potent social movement.
  • 1989: Australia defined as a multicultural nation with policies encouraging diversity and public information in multiple languages.
  • 1992: Anti-Discrimination Act (racial) and broader civil rights advances; disability rights follow in 1992.
  • 1994: The Creative Nation policy under the Keating government promotes cultural pluralism and broad access to arts and culture for all Australians; supports non-English-speaking backgrounds and Aboriginal/Indigenous representation; emphasis on workforce diversification in the arts.
  • Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC) model for glitter cycle funding:
    • Requirement: one significant Australian creative control.
    • Requirement: two sources of market finance (could be from private, TV networks, overseas financiers, or other sources).
    • The policy supported financing that could originate from French money or other international sources, enabling films to appeal to Cannes and other festivals while maintaining Australian identity.
  • Pre-1994 vs. post-1994 dynamics in screen culture:
    • Glitter cycle films are produced with strong international potential but must retain a sense of Australian character.
    • Diversification of the screen workforce aligns with the multicultural policy and broader social reforms.

The Glitter Cycle: Films, Themes, and Analyses

  • Major films and characteristics
    • Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
    • Queer revision of Australian national identity; features a drag-based, cross-country journey.
    • Scenes analyzed for queerness, camp performance, and the tension between tradition and modernity.
    • Discussion of a pub scene with trans characters (Bernadette) and the treatment of trans identities on screen.
    • Head On (1998)
    • Explores queer/diasporic identity; worth watching as part of the queer/diasporic discourse.
    • Floating Life (Clara Law, 1994)
    • Cantonese-language migrant family story; focus on internal family dynamics rather than direct contact with Australians.
    • A road into migration discourse; scenes open with attention to light, color, sound to portray the new home in Australia.
    • Strictly Ballroom (Baz Luhrmann, 1992)
    • Luhrmann’s stage-to-film approach preserves theatricality and choreography while engaging with ochre/masculine tropes.
    • The film reframes traditional Australianness, blending competitive, showy energy with a critique of conservative norms (e.g., tall poppy syndrome).
    • The mother’s gaze and the public/private pressures of status and identity are central to the drama.
    • Barry McKenzie films (1970s)
    • Early Australian export films that caricatured Englishness and Australian masculinity; set the scene for later debates about nationalism and gendered identity.
    • The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert and related title wordplay
    • Uses the “Adventures of …” framing to signal a playful, cross-cultural journey that revises earlier national stereotypes.
  • Thematic threads across glitter cycle
    • Reframing of Australianness: from a rugged, outback hero to a cosmopolitan, egalitarian, and multiple-identity nation.
    • Queerness and diasporic experiences: drag, non-normative gender performance, and migrant identities become central on screen.
    • Urban modernity and global reach: city life, fashion, music, and spectacle mix with local concerns and international finance.
    • Negotiation of national myths: tension between traditional masculine national myths and contemporary plural identities.
  • Critical readings and interpretations
    • Tom O’Regan on the glitter cycle: foregrounds banality and richness of contemporary urban settings, moving away from realist social problem filmmaking toward a more theatrical, quirky aesthetic.
    • Kunze on a queer revision of ochre comedies: Priscilla and similar films rework classic nationalist tropes by foregrounding queer and trans experiences.
    • Barry McKenzie as a counterpoint to the glitter cycle’s redefinitions of Australianness.

Television vs. Film: Audience, Form, and Representation

  • Television (especially serialized formats like Number 96) is more polysemic and audience-targeted, allowing:
    • Multiple characters and storylines to reflect diverse community voices.
    • Local and urban Australian audiences to see themselves represented weekly.
    • The ability to generate water-cooler discussions and continuous engagement, driving viewership and ad revenue.
  • Film tends to target international markets while preserving a recognizable Australian identity:
    • Films must be suitable for international festival circuits and distributors.
    • Some stereotypes can be employed to ensure recognizability and marketability in foreign markets.
  • Audience reach arguments from the seminar discussion
    • Lara and others emphasized that television’s domestic audience focus enables more inclusive portrayals and quicker feedback loops.
    • Andy and Travis highlighted the serialized format’s ability to “sprinkle in something for everyone” and to build controversy to retain audiences.
    • Isabel noted polysemy and the potential for diverse viewing motivations (titillation, outrage, representation).

Priscilla, Floating Life, and Queer/Diasporic Readings

  • Priscilla: a focal point for queering national identity
    • Pub scene analysis: drag queens in a small-town Australian pub perform femininity and masculinity, negotiate space, and are ultimately accepted, illustrating a reframing of national identity through queer experience.
    • Bernadette: a trans elder figure whose presence combines wit, wisdom, and a strong sense of agency; treatment of Bernadette is notably nuanced and respectful compared with some other depictions in the era.
    • The film’s environment (pubs, bars) as sites of encounter and performance in national culture.
  • Floating Life: diaspora cinema without heavy direct contact with host country
    • Focus on internal family dynamics and adaptation to a new life in Australia after migration from Hong Kong.
    • Language (Cantonese) foregrounds the diasporic speech and cultural retention amid new surroundings.
    • Cinematic approach emphasizes light, color, and sound to convey emotional and domestic landscapes rather than explicit cultural clash.
  • The outback, road narratives, and the shifting geography of Australian cinema
    • The discourse moves from outback menace to aspirational coastal destinations; road movies recast space as a site of transformation and cultural negotiation.

Accented Filmmaking and National Cinema (Naficy and Simpson readings)

  • Naficy’s three types of accented filmmaking:
    • Exilic: exiles focusing on lost homeland.
    • Diasporic: emphasis on collective diaspora identity in host country.
    • Postcolonial Ethnic: emphasis on ethnic identity within the host country.
  • Stylistic tendencies of accented filmmakers:
    • Accented use of speech, asynchronous sound, multilinguality.
    • Textual presence of the lost homeland.
    • Emphasis on journeying, border subjectivities, and hybrid identities.
  • Simpson’s introduction to diasporas of Australian cinema references these concepts to frame Australian screen works within global diasporic patterns.

A Final Clip and Thematic Synthesis

  • The late clip features a migrant voice asserting the value of hard work and practicality over scholarly or artistic vocations, ending with a maxim to "get cash".
    • The monologue foregrounds a pragmatic, money-driven negotiation of purpose and belonging, echoing the broader diasporic experience of pursuing economic security in a new land.
  • The clip closes with a nod to ochreism (a stylistic, cultural marker of Australian vernaculars) within the broader cross-cultural conversation.

Connections to Earlier Lectures and Real-World Relevance

  • Continuity with prior weeks on white Australia policy and its abandonment in the 1960s–1970s; shift toward integration and multiculturalism under Gough Whitlam’s government and subsequent reforms.
  • The glitter cycle can be seen as both a continuation and revision of the ochre comedies and national myths from earlier decades, now reframed through diasporic and queer perspectives.
  • Policy implications connect film/TV production with labor market diversification, export strategies, and cultural diplomacy.
  • Ethical and practical implications:
    • Representation matters: diverse voices in front of and behind the camera help shape inclusive national narratives.
    • Funding models influence which stories are told and who gets access to the industry.
    • Public broadcasting (SBS) and government policy can promote social cohesion while also enabling profitable cultural exports.

Quick Reference Points (Dates, Figures, and Terms)

  • SBS established: 1980
  • NSW decriminalization of homosexuality: 1984
  • Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras prominence: late 1970s
  • Australia defined as multicultural nation: 1989
  • Anti-Discrimination Act (racial) and related reforms: 1992
  • Disability rights reforms: 1992 (Anti-Disability Act referenced in transcript)
  • Glitter cycle (film cluster) and funding model via AFFC (Australian Film Finance Corporation): era spanning 1990s
  • Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: release year discussed in the week-seven context (early 1990s release; formal film in the glitter cycle)
  • Creative Nation policy (Keating government): 1994
  • Floating Life (Clara Law): release year 1994
  • Barry McKenzie and early ocker films discussed as precursors to glitter cycle (1970s)
  • Accented filmmaking and Naficy’s typologies introduced in readings; three types: exilic, diasporic, postcolonial ethnic

Notes for Exam Preparation

  • Be able to distinguish: glitter cycle vs. earlier Australian cinema; the role of AFFC funding rules; why glamor and international market appeal mattered alongside domestic diversity.
  • Explain how diaspora and queerness intersect in Priscilla, Head On, and Floating Life; discuss how pub spaces function as sites of cultural negotiation.
  • Define andro nationalism and discuss how glitter cycle films both critique and reproduce masculine national myths.
  • Compare television’s polysemic, resident audience approach to film’s internationalization strategy.
  • Discuss Naficy’s three types of accented filmmaking and identify examples in the week’s case studies.
  • Be prepared to discuss how policy changes (Creative Nation) and broadcasting (SBS Channel O) intersect with artistic production and representation.

Suggested Further Readings (From Lecture References)

  • Out in the Queering Nationalism in Australian Film Comedy (reading cited in week 7)
  • Hamid Naficy, Diasporas of Australian Cinema (concepts of exilic, diasporic, postcolonial ethnic filmmaking)
  • Tom O’Regan on the glitter cycle and the ochre comedies
  • Baz Luhrmann and the stylistic transformation from stage to film in Strictly Ballroom
  • Channel O promotional material and SBS programming as historical sources on unity in diversity