Towards an inclusive discourse: representation of Albanian immigrants in Greek cinema

Phillis, Philip (2015) Towards an inclusive discourse: representation of Albanian immigrants in Greek cinema. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis outlines and discusses portrayals of Albanian and Ethnic Greek migrants from Albania in contemporary Greek cinema. The focus is on seven coproduced films made between 1993 and 2009 that set out to challenge endemic xenophobia and nationalism. The latter have served the most in the exclusion of Albanian immigrants in Greece. The exclusion of Albanian migrants in Greece can be linked to a history of opposition between both countries which has led to a collective predisposition towards Albanians as inherently criminal. This is not an isolated event, but a broad phenomenon that saw Southern European cinemas becoming increasingly preoccupied with the presence of migrants in a region that has not been conditioned to hosting but rather to sending émigrés. Such films therefore also challenge the cultural bedrock of Greece and Europe. It is argued in this thesis that the shift from a national cinema to a transnational mode of filmmaking and representation, that asserts difference and a decline in national sovereignty, is an entirely alien experience to the history of Greek cinema. By utilising a holistic and critically informed framework and methodology, the author unpacks the films' creative and cultural context and addresses them as one body in relation to the specific cultural and historical backdrop. Consequently the texts per se are addressed in order to measure the degree to which they achieve a radical representation of difference and an overall shift from the norm of an insular cinema and film discourse. It is argued that the proposed films plant the seeds for an inclusive discourse but not without reinforcing obvious essentialisms that underlie nationalism and Eurocentrism. Therefore, the author argues that nationalism and Eurocentrism inform the films and hinder their aspiration towards a radical discourse

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: Albanian, migration, film, representation, Greek cinema
• Subjects: P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1993 Motion Pictures
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > Theatre Film and TV Studies
• Supervisor's Name: Eleftheriotis, Professor Dimitris
• Date of Award: 2015
• Depositing User: Mr. Philip Phillis
• Unique ID: glathesis:2015-6303
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 22 May 2015 15:29
• Last Modified: 03 Aug 2022 08:27
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.6303
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/6303