novel voyageurism in a memoryscape

For her research project ‘novel voyageurism in a memoryscape: a practice on the deconstruction of trauma in and through female-centred cinema’, Dirven delves into the interplay of PTSD, violence, womanhood, relationships, and identity. Her journey began with an inquiry into how music could anchor a cinematic structure before script or images. However, while composing music and creating performance pieces that addressed traumatic memories, Dirven discovered that music and fiction are potent tools for accessing and examining her own experience with violence and PTSD.

Dirven’s research unfolds from two intertwined perspectives: how filmmaking informs her understanding of trauma and womanhood, and how her own trauma and womanhood shape her filmmaking process. This dual approach is embodied in her current project, ‘Five Nights Shomal’. In this fiction film, based on her memories, Dirven employs diverse music composition and screenwriting techniques to articulate her trauma, and how it impacted her sense of identity and relationships. Her practice evolves from the intimate confines of a music room to the collaborative, embodied space of a film set, translating raw emotion into cinematic reenactment.

Simultaneously, Dirven continually reassesses her methods, forging a female-centred filmmaking practice that prioritises feminine perspectives over masculine patriarchal conventions. This methodology is evident in her screenwriting technique of centring a female character arc, composing intuitively, and fostering a fluid, collective directorial approach that incorporates crew input to enhance her vision. Through this practice, Dirven not only deconstructs her trauma but also challenges the male-dominated conventions of cinema.

Visual Abstract Artistic Research: