Homo Hibernicus:myth, ethnography and nationalism in Robert Flaherty's Man of Aran

Carney, James (2012) Homo Hibernicus:myth, ethnography and nationalism in Robert Flaherty's Man of Aran. Studies in Documentary Film, 6 (1). pp. 61-79. ISSN 1750-3280

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Abstract

Why did Robert Flaherty's Man of Aran resonate so strongly with the cultural milieu of 1930s Ireland? I argue that Flaherty's documentary, despite its mimetic intentions, has, in fact, the semiotic form of a foundation myth. A consequence of this, I suggest, was that Flaherty's film would have been instrumental in activating nationalist narratives of self-determination and colonial oppression that were then current in the nascent Irish State. Additionally, a subsidiary (and related) goal of my discussion is to show, by way of Flaherty's film, that the documentary form is no less structured by normative cultural codes than its fictional counterparts.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Studies in Documentary Film
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1200/1213
Subjects:
?? COMMUNICATIONVISUAL ARTS AND PERFORMING ARTS ??
ID Code:
79530
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
16 May 2016 15:28
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
16 Sep 2023 01:20