Den skenbara stillheten. En analys av fotografiets roll i Godland

Abstract

This essay investigates the role of photography in the film Godland (Volaða Land, Hlynur Palmason, 2022) through the notion of stillness, movement and colonial gaze. A claim is made that throughout the film, stillness is tied to power, while movement on the other hand is related to resistance. The main theoretical concepts are Roland Barthes notion of punctum, Laura Mulveys theory of delay, and Edward W. Saids concept of the Other. The essay also provides an introduction to some classic theoretical discussions regarding film and photography. The analysis focuses on four scenes from the film that similarly depicts a photo shoot. In these scenes, the film characters suddenly stares straight into the camera for an extended time period, temporarily halting the narrative and addressing the spectator.