“A River as a Character” (2019)

Catherine Gough-Brady

doi:10.1163/23644583-00401016

Catherine Gough-Brady

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1163/23644583-00401016

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Abstract

As a filmmaker, the author felt the need to develop a deep connection with her subject, but was unsure how to do so with the Murray-Darling River. Initially, she saw the river as a system akin to what Pierre Bourdieu calls a field: forces external to the author acting upon each other. She felt that to connect with the river she needed to adjust her habitus (personal dispositions; way of being) to its field. This continued once the author returned to Melbourne, but through the medium of the images of the river. During the edit, she shifted from seeing the river as a field of external forces to seeing it as a habitus, a way of being. This was necessary for the river to become a character, rather than just a location.

Highlights

FEATURE Catherine Gough-Brady’s article is based on the film ‘A River as a Character’ which can be viewed here
The digital papers are neither traditional academic essays, nor are they traditional documentaries. They have emerged from the intersection of my film and TV industry practice with academic research
My intention is that the author will not explain everything, as Laura Rascaroli writes, “The essayist does not

Summary

Introduction

FEATURE Catherine Gough-Brady’s article is based on the film ‘A River as a Character’ which can be viewed here. Keywords character – Murray-Darling River – Bourdieu – habitus – non-representational theory – digital paper Digital papers grew out of my desire to use my art medium (audio-visual) to communicate academic research to an audience.

Results

Conclusion