From Solastalgia to Soliphilia : reimagining home in the Anthropocene in Darren Aronofsky’s mother!, Paul Schrader’s First Reformed and Wanuri Kahiu’s Pumzi

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dc.contributor.advisorGreen, Louiseen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorVosloo, Robert Rouxen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of English.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-11-22T11:28:17Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-16T12:54:16Z
dc.date.available2022-11-22T11:28:17Z
dc.date.available2023-01-16T12:54:16Z
dc.date.issued2022-12
dc.descriptionThesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis, I aim to study the relationship between home environments and solastalgia during the Anthropocene. I shall argue that it is fruitful to interpret this relationship through the medium of cinema, and through the lens of eco-film criticism in particular. I have selected three significant films to work with for the sake of my argument. These are Darren Aronofsky’s 2017 film mother!, Paul Schrader’s 2017 film First Reformed and Wanuri Kahiu’s 2009 short film Pumzi. One consequence of the Anthropocene is the increasing rate of climate change, which poses a direct threat to Earth as a home environment. “Solastalgia” is a term coined by Glenn Albrecht, Professor of Sustainability at Murdoch University in Australia, and retired Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales. Solastalgia refers to the psychic condition a person suffers from when their home environment is under immediate threat. The Anthropocene, in this case, refers to the idea of a geological epoch in which humanity controls, moves and converts resources more than any other group or force on Earth. The scale of this resource manipulation can be comprehended when considering the fact that the human-made materials on Earth now weigh more than the matter untouched by humanity. I argue that each film achieves a unique effect via its use of filmic techniques. In mother!, this technique relates to the aesthetics of disaster and desolation, as well as to Cara Nine’s reading of home in her article “The Wrong of Displacement: The Home as Extended Mind.” In the chapter on First Reformed , I examine Schrader’s use of transcendental style and the way it links to the powerlessness that solastalgia leads to for different characters. In the chapter on Pumzi, the director’s depiction of action-based approaches and its relation to Albrecht’s concept of soliphilia (love for the maintenance and reparation of home spaces) will be addressed. This will be done in relation to Kenyan environmental activist, Wangari Maathai’s ideas surrounding the “Green Belt Movement.” All of this will be done to envision possible ways of exiting the Anthropocene and entering a new era, referred to by Albrecht as the “Symbiocene” – an age that emphasizes the interconnectedness of nature and culture.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die verhouding tussen huis-omgewings en solastalgia tydens die Antroposeen. My argument maak die stelling dat hierdie verhouding beter verstaan kan word deur die medium van film, en meer spesifiek deur die lens van eko-filmkritiek. Ek het drie relevante rolprente gekies om mee te werk ter ondersteuning van my kernargument. Hierdie rolprente is Darren Aronofsky se mother! van 2017, Paul Schrader se First Reformed van 2017, en Wanuri Kahiu se kortfilm Pumzi van 2009. Een gevolg van die Antroposeen is die toenemende krisis van klimaatsverandering, wat ‘n direkte bedreiging is vir die Aarde asook vir mense se tuiswees op hierdie planeet. Solastalgia is ‘n term wat bekendgemaak is deur Glenn Albrecht, ‘n Professor van Volhoubaarheid Studies aan die Murdoch Universiteit in Australië. Solastalgia verwys na ‘n toestand waaraan ‘n persoon ly tydens ‘n periode waarin hul huis- omgewing direk bedreig word. Die Antroposeen verwys in hierdie geval na die geologiese era waarin die mensdom meer fisiese materiaal beheer, rondbeweeg en verwerk as enige ander natuurlike krag op Aarde. Die skaal van die menslike hulpbronverwerking kan beter verstaan word deur die feit in ag neem dat mensgemaakte hulpbronne nou meer weeg as materie wat onaangeraak is deur die mensdom. Ek argumenteer dat elke rolprent waarmee ek sal werk ‘n unieke effek demonstreer deur die regisseurs se gebruik van verskeie tegnieke. In mother! word verbeeld die estetika van rampspoed, verlatenheid, asook die konsep van ‘n verlengde denke (soos bespreek deur Cara Nine in haar 2018 artikel “The Wrong of Displacement – The Home as Extended Mind”). In First Reformed, is dit weer Schrader se gebruik van transendentale styl, en die manier wat dit verbind is met idees van magteloosheid wat veroorsaak word deur solastalgia, wat aan die orde kom. In die hoofstuk oor Pumzi is dit die regisseur se gebruik van aksie-gedrewe benaderings tot klimaatsvernadering wat veral uitstaan. Om dit beter te verduidelik sal ek verwys na die omgewingsaktivis Wangari Maathai en die “Green Belt Movement” wat sy gestig het om de idee van simbiose aan te spreek. Bogenoemde word aangepak om moontlike maniere voor te stel wat die mensdom kan help om om ‘n skuif te maak uit die Antroposeen na ‘n era wat Albrecht na verwys na as die Simbioseen – ‘n era van onderlinge verbondenheid.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extent98 pagesen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126181
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectInterconnectedness of nature and cultureen_ZA
dc.subjectRelationship between home environmentsen_ZA
dc.subjectGeology, Stratigraphic -- Anthropoceneen_ZA
dc.subjectAronofsky, Darren -- Mother! -- Criticism and interpretationen_ZA
dc.subjectSchrader, Paul, 1946- -- First reformed -- Criticism and interpretationen_ZA
dc.subjectKahiu, Wanuri -- Pumzi -- Criticism and interpretationen_ZA
dc.subjectEnviromentalism -- Social aspectsen_ZA
dc.subjectUCTDen_ZA
dc.titleFrom Solastalgia to Soliphilia : reimagining home in the Anthropocene in Darren Aronofsky’s mother!, Paul Schrader’s First Reformed and Wanuri Kahiu’s Pumzien_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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