Most filmgoers would attest to a film’s capability to “transport” the viewer to another place. This “transportation” is often through shots that pan the location or provide an aerial view of the area. For films that are set in multiple countries, for instance, a quick shot with an easily identifiable landmark or cultural object would be used to distinguish between two settings. Often, the sense of being in the location is communicated through visuals of people, animals, and objects that are stereotypically associated with the area––think Eiffel Tower for Paris. As I looked at more narrative films, I started noticing shots that do not have an explicit connection with the narrative, yet communicate about the place, people, and culture. One of the first questions that drove me to my dissertation research was, “Why does a viewer immediately identify the film’s setting as Indian as soon as they spot a stray cow wandering in the street in the shot?” These shots, often called B-roll shots, may not have an important function in driving the narrative, but construct meaning about the other. In my dissertation project, I examine the use of B-roll footage in films in constructing meaning about culture, identity, and difference.

Time-travel/ Trip to the archives