South Asian cinema and video online distribution (VOD) research network
Lead Research Organisation:
University of East London
Department Name: Arts and Digital Industries
Abstract
Sharing a colonial past under British rule and separated by regional tensions since 1948, South Asian nations have all been equally exposed to Hindi cinema for decades. Within the region, Hindi cinema made in India has been simultaneously a shared medium and a modern form of cultural colonisation. Video online distribution (VOD) is now beginning to destabilise this film industrial configuration, enabling the global circulation of films from South Asian countries that, until recently, were confined to the domestic market.
Tension between South Asian countries mark both relations within the South Asian diaspora in Britain and public attitudes towards South Asian diasporans. Today, however, VOD makes it possible for Indian audiences to watch, for instance, Pakistani or Bangladeshi films, even if movement of people and goods between the two countries, and inter-diasporan relations, are at best difficult. But this new form of cultural exchange is entirely mediated by video online distribution companies (VODs) and their commercial interests. The purpose of this network is to enable filmmakers and scholars from South Asia to begin to explore the possibilities of regional dialogue offered by this is new cinematic ground.
Two features characterise the growth of VODs like Netflix, Amazon, Hotstar, Iflix or Viu: the expansion of their geographic reach and their diversification into local content production. VODs have adopted the commissioning and production of films or series in local languages with local crews as a market penetration strategy. VODs' claim is that this enables filmmakers marginalised within the domestic industry to gain international exposure. The general assumption is that this, in turn, helps challenge received ideas about local cultures and identities. In reality research is at too early a stage to substantiate either.
Most research on VOD is sponsored by the companies or their investors. More objective studies have been undertaken by public advisory agencies in the Global North, which are, however, of little practical use when applied to national cinemas in South Asia. Existing academic research examines VOD as an industrial complex through a political economy of the media approach within which films, their aesthetics and cultural specificity are marginal concerns. This type of research documents the extent to which VODs define the limits within which independent filmmakers work. What is missing is research on how filmmakers move within those limits and how this, in turn, shapes the films they make. These conditions demarcate independent cinema - its content and aesthetics - and, with it, also our imaginings of local identities.
By bringing together filmmakers from different South Asian countries and scholars, and combining theoretical approaches with the experience of creative industry professionals, this network will enable research that explores how VODs' operation (distribution, commissioning and production) is shaping ideas of South Asian identity and regional relations. It will be the first network to research VODs' operation from this methodological and geographic perspective. Networking will also stimulate transnational dialogue among nationals who share common historical and cultural influences but have entertained conflictual political relations. Third, networking will enable us to address questions of content, aesthetics and representation from different professional windows, implementing an interdisciplinary, comparative methodology that, based on localised angles, will be of relevance to the study of VOD's impact on independent cinema also in other regions.
Tension between South Asian countries mark both relations within the South Asian diaspora in Britain and public attitudes towards South Asian diasporans. Today, however, VOD makes it possible for Indian audiences to watch, for instance, Pakistani or Bangladeshi films, even if movement of people and goods between the two countries, and inter-diasporan relations, are at best difficult. But this new form of cultural exchange is entirely mediated by video online distribution companies (VODs) and their commercial interests. The purpose of this network is to enable filmmakers and scholars from South Asia to begin to explore the possibilities of regional dialogue offered by this is new cinematic ground.
Two features characterise the growth of VODs like Netflix, Amazon, Hotstar, Iflix or Viu: the expansion of their geographic reach and their diversification into local content production. VODs have adopted the commissioning and production of films or series in local languages with local crews as a market penetration strategy. VODs' claim is that this enables filmmakers marginalised within the domestic industry to gain international exposure. The general assumption is that this, in turn, helps challenge received ideas about local cultures and identities. In reality research is at too early a stage to substantiate either.
Most research on VOD is sponsored by the companies or their investors. More objective studies have been undertaken by public advisory agencies in the Global North, which are, however, of little practical use when applied to national cinemas in South Asia. Existing academic research examines VOD as an industrial complex through a political economy of the media approach within which films, their aesthetics and cultural specificity are marginal concerns. This type of research documents the extent to which VODs define the limits within which independent filmmakers work. What is missing is research on how filmmakers move within those limits and how this, in turn, shapes the films they make. These conditions demarcate independent cinema - its content and aesthetics - and, with it, also our imaginings of local identities.
By bringing together filmmakers from different South Asian countries and scholars, and combining theoretical approaches with the experience of creative industry professionals, this network will enable research that explores how VODs' operation (distribution, commissioning and production) is shaping ideas of South Asian identity and regional relations. It will be the first network to research VODs' operation from this methodological and geographic perspective. Networking will also stimulate transnational dialogue among nationals who share common historical and cultural influences but have entertained conflictual political relations. Third, networking will enable us to address questions of content, aesthetics and representation from different professional windows, implementing an interdisciplinary, comparative methodology that, based on localised angles, will be of relevance to the study of VOD's impact on independent cinema also in other regions.
Organisations
Publications
Valentina Vitali
(2023)
South Asian cinema at festivals and on VOD: focus on women filmmakers
in NO NIIN: At the Cusp of Art and Criticality (Finland)
Related Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Award Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AH/W006464/1 | 31/03/2022 | 30/07/2023 | £35,843 | ||
| AH/W006464/2 | Transfer | AH/W006464/1 | 31/08/2023 | 29/06/2024 | £17,636 |
| Description | The network's research enabled us to conclude that - the emerging new streaming economy of South Asia is very different from the dazzling picture publicised by corporate operators. So-called 'global platforms' do not yet have actual global reach, and not as much as they claim in South Asia. In fact, across South Asia we are witnessing, rather, the proliferation of small, hyper-local platforms offering content in local languages; - there is no evidence that corporate streaming companies' operation as producers or distributors has so far opened up significant opportunities for emerging talent (as these companies tend to claim), but the landscape is changing. In India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which have the highest film production rate, the operation of both corporate and hyper-local VOD platforms has begun to intervene into long-established film-industrial patterns; - the proliferation of small, independent platforms in every South Asian nation, from Bhutan to Sri Lanka, and their provision of content in local languages are beginning to make a dent also in the regional dominance of Hindi films; - in India, where distributors have historically controlled finance and, with it, film production, this seems to have opened up opportunities for small producers and emerging independent filmmakers, though crucially not with corporate, global operators; - early signs are that hyper-local platforms offering independent content in local languages struggle to survive on subscriptions only. Financiers and advertisers remain, for these platforms, very hard to come by; - the ground is extremely fluid and, for the sample of local platforms we have identified, precarious; - public events organised by our network showed that audiences in the UK welcome with open arms the possibility of accessing films from parts of South Asia other than India; - however, public events organised by the network also showed that the general public and academics alike are unaware of the existence of local (national or hyper-local) South Asian platforms, many of which are accessible globally and offer South Asian content with English subtitles. Overall our findings show that what obstructs exchange and the circulation of independent South Asian films within South Asia, and between South Asia and the UK, is neither the technology nor the reach of government control (which is very real even when it can be bypassed with VPNs). The difficulties lie, rather, in the fact that non-local audiences, including UK audiences, are unaware of the existence of independent, local or hyper-local South Asian platforms. Only a small minority of viewers ventures out to seek content from, say, Sri Lanka, Bhutan or Myanmar. When this minority of curious viewers does look for such content, they search for it on corporate providers like Netflix or Amazon Prime, which hardly offer anything of the sort. Audiences are largely oblivious of local platforms like CinemaCeylon, Samuh or YFS, both of which provide eminently affordable Sri Lankan, Bhutanese and Burmese independent films via pay-per-view options. Local platforms like these do not have the capacity to bypass the marketing reach and algorithmic clamp of corporate players. These findings highlighted the importance of raising public awareness of the accessibility, diversity and quality of films from across South Asia through public screenings. As this project advanced, and in the light of very positive feedback from the public, we decided to intensify this type of activity - i.e. public free screenings followed by Q&A and discussion. We also reached out to other academics via conference papers and the Vilnius symposium and used that network as a means to influence directly HE curricula. |
| Exploitation Route | Our findings, our network's website and the public screenings we organised have helped made the general UK public, educators, academics, programmers and funders aware of the accessibility, diversity and quality of films from every South Asian country. -Programmers of cinemas, festivals and streaming platforms in the UK have taken stock and are now acting on their increased awareness, to the benefit of the UK public, South Asian filmmakers and debates of South Asian identities in the UK. -Academics in the UK, the US and Europe are using our project's website as a tool to teach about the diverse cultures and cinemas of South Asia. -Individuals from different South Asian countries have found commonalities between the circumstances under which independent and emerging filmmakers in their respective countries work. They have developed the awareness of a shared ground that will help their work as filmmakers and their films to circulate more easily across South Asia, as well as into the UK. -A small share of the UK film public is now aware that films from every country in South Asia can be accessed through independent local platforms. We are hoping that this public will increase and demand that public broadcasting and film programming (in cinemas, festivals and streaming platforms) reflect the diversity and quality of the material this public now knows to be accessible. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy Education Leisure Activities including Sports Recreation and Tourism Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://southasiavod.com/ |
| Description | Following the network's activities, some of the filmmakers involved in the network have acquired greater visibility. Some have gone on to write about their work and experience in non-academic publications. The network's activities and the dissemination of the network's research at conferences and public screening have also led to the small, South Asian independent streaming platforms featured on the network's website to be known among the general public, especially in Europe and the USA. This has resulted in these small platforms being used and the South Asian films featured on these platforms being watched outside of South Asia. This helps facilitate debate about South Asian identities, also in the UK. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic |
| Description | Influenced film programming |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | Promoting the network's activities and findings through screenings aimed at the general public and film professionals has lead to greater exposure of the UK public to films from South Asian countries other than India. This has not only enhanced the visibility of South Asian filmmakers. Above all, it has to enabled us to facilitate discussions about South Asian identities, generally and in the UK. These screenings helped us increase the visibility of, and facilitate access to, a wide range of films from the region. As reactions from the audiences indicated, in the medium-term this will sustain informed public debates about the nuances and complexities of South Asian diasporic identities in the UK. |
| Description | Public screening of South Asian films |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Public free screening of short and medium length films by independent women filmmakers from across South Asia. Part of 'Tongues on Fire: UK Asian Film Festival' and followed by Q&A with the filmmakers and network members, and lively public discussion. 65 people attended this screening at Stratford PictureHouse, London, on 14 May 2022. Reactions from the public and the discussion that followed the screening were very positive. Questionnaires revealed that audiences would like to see more events of this type, showcasing a range of films from across South Asia (not just India), and touching on contemporary themes. (Please also refer to entry under 'Collaborations'.) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/grabbing-the-world-by-the-lapels-tickets-331454949677?aff=ebdsoporgpr... |
| Description | South Asian Cinema and VOD 2nd network meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | South Asian Cinema and VOD research network members met in person at University of East London campus over three days. The issues that had emerged at the 1st (online) network meeting were taken up and discussed further. The members resolved to focus on the presence and operation of local, language-specific VOD platforms (rather than on global, corporate ones), and to map the VOD connections between different countries within South Asia, as well as between different communities within the South Asian diaspora. This to pursue the network's main research question: can VOD technology enable dialogue within South Asia and among diverse identities of the South Asian diaspora? Also identified as urgent questions: - censorship on/by VOD platforms; - streaming as archive for cinemas at risk (e.g. Afghanistan); - the South Asian documentary on VOD; - women filmmakers and access to online distribution/exhibition. Members resolved that the project's website had to indicate those regional connections where they existed. So the website designer was also invited, on the last day of the meeting, to find out how best to make this data available to external researchers, professionals and the general public. The network members resolved that the next meeting, online, in 2023 will focus on the content of, and representation of identities in, South Asian films available on a range of VOD platforms. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | http://southasiavod.com/past-events |
| Description | South Asian Cinema and VOD research network meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | First, introductory South Asian Cinema and VOD network meeting, online, on 15 May 2022. Network members described the presence, operation and audience access of streaming platforms in their respective country (incl. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka). The discussion went on to address VODs companies' relation to the state, and other shared issues and differences across the region. A transcript of the discussion was subsequently circulated to all network members, in preparation of the network's 2nd meeting, in-person in London in September 2022. Part of the findings that resulted from this first network meeting fed into the preparation of the network's website (www.southasiavod.com) and are published there, accessible to the general public and the research community. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | http://southasiavod.com/past-events |
| Description | Website mapping the presence and operation of local VOD platforms in South Asia |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Existing research on video online distribution focuses exclusively on global operators - companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime, which also have a monopoly on the market in the Global North. Our network findings show that when this is projected onto the Global South it gives a highly inaccurate picture. Across South Asia the VOD market is characterised by an undergrowth of domestic and regional VOD operators that are far more (financially) accessible to South Asian audiences in the region. These are also accessible globally to the South Asian diaspora, which also sustains and uses them. These local VOD operators are responsible for the largest share of South Asian-made video/film content, as a distributor and, very often, also as a producer. None of this is documented anywhere in existing research. This website is intended to begin to map this rich cultural and film-industrial ground. It is both a tool for researchers, filmmakers and programmers, and a resource for general audiences hungry for accessible films from South Asian countries. The website is currently work-in-progress. Its aims are to map (a) the undergrowth of local VOD and (b) the exchange they make possible between different countries within South Asia - e.g. through shared language across national borders. This to pursue the network's main research question: can VOD technology enable dialogue within South Asia and among diverse identities of the South Asian diaspora? |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
| URL | http://southasiavod.com/ |