Cinema and authenticity: anxieties in the making of historical filmFootnote^*
* This article was developed from papers delivered at the ‘Journeys Across Media’ conference (University of Reading, 2014) and ‘Out of Practice’ conference (University of Birmingham, 2016).

Dominic LeesDepartment of Film, Media and Performing Arts, University for the Creative Arts, Farnham, UKCorrespondence[email protected]
[email protected]

ABSTRACT

The practice of representing history on film brings the filmmaker into collision with a cluster of concerns around the authentic. While recent articles have considered the historical documentary and historical dramatisation, I seek to extend the debate into narrative fiction film set in historical periods. In this article, I discuss conflicting conceptions of authenticity. Through my own practice-as-research, I examine the decision-making within the preproduction of a historical drama (my short film, The Burning, 2016) in order to demonstrate the ways in which contradictory concepts of authenticity can coexist within a historical film project.

KEYWORDS:

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Dominic Lees is Senior Lecturer in Film Production at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) and is researching for a Ph.D. in film at the University of Reading, a practice-as-research project investigating ‘Creative Modes of Film Production’. He is also an experienced film and television director whose work bridges popular TV drama and award-winning independent film. His feature film Outlanders (2008) is a drama-thriller about East European migrants in the UK.

ORCID

Dominic Lees http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3787-3740

Notes

* This article was developed from papers delivered at the ‘Journeys Across Media’ conference (University of Reading, 2014) and ‘Out of Practice’ conference (University of Birmingham, 2016).

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Order Reprints Request Corporate Permissions

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

Request Academic Permissions

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.

Cinema and authenticity: anxieties in the making of historical filmFootnote^*
* This article was developed from papers delivered at the ‘Journeys Across Media’ conference (University of Reading, 2014) and ‘Out of Practice’ conference (University of Birmingham, 2016).

Information for

Open access

Opportunities

Help and information

Cinema and authenticity: anxieties in the making of historical filmFootnote** This article was developed from papers delivered at the ‘Journeys Across Media’ conference (University of Reading, 2014) and ‘Out of Practice’ conference (University of Birmingham, 2016).

ABSTRACT

Disclosure statement

Notes on contributor

ORCID

Notes

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Academic Permissions

Related research

To cite this article:

Download citation

Information for

Open access

Opportunities

Help and information

Keep up to date

Your download is now in progress and you may close this window

Login or register to access this feature

Cinema and authenticity: anxieties in the making of historical filmFootnote^*
* This article was developed from papers delivered at the ‘Journeys Across Media’ conference (University of Reading, 2014) and ‘Out of Practice’ conference (University of Birmingham, 2016).