Thematic：
Is it most useful to
consider the appearance of the tiger in Tropical Malady as indicative of
an ecocinematic engagement with the posthuman, the nonhuman, or the “beyond
human”, or indeed is an alternative interpretative framework (e.g. one
emphasizing animism, for example, or again a Deleuzian “becoming-animal”
as another example) more appropriate for understanding this animal’s role in
the film?
Request：
1. Consider the assigned topic and approach your writing academically, integrating the provided literature.
2. Ensure a focus on referencing the literature provided, while supplementing with additional sources as necessary.
3. Engage in critical thinking and adhere to the standards of academic writing.
4. Prior to commencing writing, please thoroughly review all the literature provided.
Writing Tips：
This paper aims to explore the symbolic significance of the tiger in the film “Tropical Malady” by analyzing its interpretation within the frameworks of eco-cinema, animal mysticism, and Deleuzian theory. It begins with an introduction to the film and its themes, followed by a clear statement of the paper’s objectives and methodology. The analysis delves into the role and symbolism of the tiger in the film, employing various theoretical frameworks to interpret its meaning. Case studies and references are used to support the arguments, concluding with a summary of research findings and suggestions for further study.
Information supplement:
Screening: Tropical Malady (Weerasethakul Apichatpong, 2004)
Reading:
Ingawanij, May Adadol, “Animism and the Performative Realist Cinema of Apichatpong Weerasethakul.” Anat Pick and Guinevere Narraway (eds)., Screening Nature (Oxford: Berghahn Books, 2013), pp. 91-109.
Jeong, Seong-hoon. “A Global Cinematic Zone of Animal and Technology.” Angelaki 18.1(2013), pp. 139-157.
Additional Reading:
Birks, Chelsea, Limit Cinema (New York: Bloomsbury, 2019)
Ivakhiv, Adrian, Ecologies of the Moving Image (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2013).
Kucuk, Serdar, “Queer Settings as Sites of Resistance”, Camera Obscura, 35: 2 (2020), pp. 95-123.
Malaina, Alvaro, “Assembling the natural and the supernatural in Thai independent cinema”, Asian Anthropology, 21:2 (2022), pp. 138-154
Martin-Jones, David, Cinema Against Doublethink (London: Routledge, 2018).
Mullarkey, John, “Animal Spirits”, Angelaki, 18: 1 (2013), pp. 11-29
Rust, Stephen et al (eds.), Ecocinema Theory and Practice (New York: American Film Institute, 2012)
The assessment
criteria for this essay are:
– Content
– Critical argument
– Use of sources
– Structure
– Presentation
– Style
(for the audiovisual essay this means the use of audiovisual techniques to
pursue your argument)
– Observation of word count or time limit
(bibliography/credits do not count)
