Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Amanda Coates: My article explores Gregg Araki’s cult trilogy (dubbed the Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy), featuring the films Totally Fucked Up, The Doom Generation, and Nowhere. These films are known best as independent queer films, which focus on troubled young adults as they navigate their lives under unconventional circumstances — including the AIDS epidemic and the apocalypse. My paper approaches these films with a different approach, studying how Gregg Araki’s Asian identity influences these films, as well as how these films represent Asian Americans; many scholars have critiqued that Araki’s work does not represent Asian American identity, but I argue that his representation of Asian American men is empowering. Within the trilogy, Araki gives Asian men the space to explore their queerness without their race becoming a factor that prevents them from doing so, thus empowering Asian men in a unique way.
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
AC: While I made use of researching books, articles, dissertations, and other scholarly sources, I of course was studying Araki’s filmography. Aside from the trilogy I was focusing on, I also watched other films directed by Araki to have a better understanding of his directorial style and attitudes. As a result, my article consists of much scene analysis. Furthermore, I was exploring internet sources like Letterboxd, Rotten Tomatoes, and other outlets reviewing films in order to understand the impact Araki made with his films, which allowed me to help discuss the legacy of his films.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
AC: I wrote this article for my Asian American studies seminar during my fourth year of undergrad studies. Prior to writing the paper, I was vaguely familiar with Araki’s work, as he directed one of my favorite films, Mysterious Skin, and I had previously seen Totally Fucked Up. I have a close friend who is also a huge fan of these films and always told me how much I would enjoy The Doom Generation and Nowhere. I used this paper as an opportunity to not only explore more of Araki’s filmography, including his stylistic approach as a director, but to ultimately challenge myself. I knew that these films predominantly tackled queer issues, and studying these films through the added lens of Asian American identity was challenging, but ultimately enhanced my abilities as a writer.
FM: How have your personal experiences shaped and influenced your writing?
AC: Ever since I was young, I have always been interested in writing, so my personal experiences have shaped better quality work. Writing became a coping mechanism for me in my younger years and high school, as I was always working on short stories, scripts, or, during my undergrad years, analyzing films. Writing allowed me to have my own unfiltered and uninterrupted thoughts, that I could sometimes mask through dialogue writing or storytelling. Since I was always practicing writing, it meant that I was always evolving and enhancing my style, which shaped me into a better writer by the time I entered university. The fun part about writing, though, is that there is always room for improvement, and I find myself always growing as a writer!
FM: What aspects of the writing process were most challenging? Why?
AC: Personally, the hardest part for me was being concise. The word count for the paper was 3500-4500 words, which is the longest word count I have had to work with in university, so I was worried about not reaching the word count. However, as I began conducting my research, I realized that there was a lot more to discuss within these films than I had originally thought, resulting in challenges regarding condensing my word count. I tend to overexplain points, use too many examples, or even include details that are not relevant to my thesis. As a result, it can be a challenge to filter out what is relevant to the research I am conducting. As a result, keeping the paper at a moderate length that was cohesive and not flooded with irrelevant details was the most challenging for me.
FM: What do you enjoy most about your article?
AC: This article is one I am most proud of from my undergraduate experience, because it was such a challenge to write. There was an abundance of sources regarding Gregg Araki’s filmography with a queer context, but not a whole lot when it came to Asian American representation. What I enjoyed most is that this paper forced me to apply knowledge from my research and recontextualize the films for myself. Writing this paper forced me to think more critically about what I was analyzing, as I had minimal sources that could validate Araki’s Asian representation as positive, something I had to prove myself through my own analysis.
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
AC: The editorial process impacted the evolution of my article, by allowing it to be more organized and thought out. The feedback I received from my submission allowed me to look at my paper through the eyes of someone else, and I was able to recognize areas of improvement much easier. The editorial process also helped with the organization of my points and ideas, which led it to be more cohesive and easier to read. When comparing my final product to the draft I handed in for my seminar, I can clearly see how the paper evolved.
FM: What audience do you hope to reach with your Film Matters article and/or what impact do you hope it has on the field of film studies?
AC: I hope that the impact this article has is the further continuation of themes within cinema that are not as obvious upon a first viewing. Regarding the Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy, it is easy to analyze the films under a queer lens, but can be difficult when looking at its Asian American representation. When I finished the trilogy, I was worried about what I was going to talk about, considering how little overt Asian American representation there was! The audience I hope to reach is anyone who is studying any sort of representation in cinema, as I am hoping that the paper showcases that positive representation can be expressed in many ways in film, and not always at first glance.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
AC: The Film Studies Department at Laurier is a close, tight-knit community, and so the professors tend to get to know us both as students and as individuals. As a result, they try to support our endeavors both inside and outside of class — including showcasing personal student projects at the annual Film Symposium; professors often go to this and can see the creative projects we are working on outside of our studies.
FM: How has your faculty mentor fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
AC: Dr. Gates was extremely encouraging to me as a student. Despite only taking three classes from her, she always provided what I found to be the most useful feedback when marking my papers, and always provided the most encouraging comments. I was only in my third year when she first suggested I submit my work to academic journals. Her faith in me both as a scholar and a writer motivated me to edit and go through my work more closely, leading me to where I am today.
FM: What advice do you have for undergraduate film and media scholars?
AC: I tell people all the time that film classes are the same type of work as English classes, just with a different medium in use. It is quite a lot of work, and requires a lot of creative thinking, so I suggest for undergraduate film and media scholars to have as much fun with it as possible! Study a favorite film with an academic lens! Explore some films you have always wanted to watch but have never had the time to! Writing about something you like/are interested in results in better quality work, and of course, makes the whole experience more fun.
FM: What are your future plans?
AC: After finishing my degree at Wilfrid Laurier University, I plan to work on some personal filmmaking projects of mine. However, I ultimately would love to continue conducting research, and writing about films, and work toward having a career as a film critic.
Author Biography
Amanda Coates is a 23-year-old undergraduate film student who is finishing her degree at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her interest in film spans from writing about films, to making some of her own. Her favorite film is Michael Mann’s Heat (1995).
