A Study in Film: The 2022 Manifesto

Hello there! it's been a while since I last posted... mostly because 2021 was a crazy year for me. I finished another year of school, began writing for InSession Film and Awards Radar, worked both a full-time and part-time job during the summer months, started another year of school, and navigated the second year of an undying pandemic. If that sounds like a lot, it was. And thus, A Study in Film was left on the back burner for the majority of the year.

But that year of hell has come to a close. It's 2022 baby! And everything is shutting down again under the pressure of the Omnicron variant of COVID-19... ARGGGRGRRGR. There is no other way to put it, we all need some hope in these... "unprecedented" times. And so, I want A Study in Film to become that space, where I can talk about the art I consume this year. To do so, I am putting together a shortlist of what I will be posting to the site, and when it will be posted. So let's get it.

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1. Weekly reviews

This is by far the thing I want to do most with "A Study in Film". I watched a staggering 167 films last year, and only 14 of those films got a proper review. And while those 14 reviews encompassed half of the 2021 releases I saw, it still is less than a tenth of what I actually watched. As such, I aim to have at least one weekly review posted to "A Study in Film". These will likely be older films I haven't seen, though the occasional new release will get a review on this site.

2. Bi-Weekly film Analysis

According to the Oxford dictionary, the noun study refers to the detailed investigation and analysis of a subject or situation. This site was created with the intention for it to be a place of study, where I could dive deep into the way filmmaking works. As such, I will be making a renewed effort to discuss the technical aspects of cinema to show why some films have become immortalized in our collective conscience and why some have been forgotten in the sands of time.

3. Monthly update

Last year was absolutely brutal for my mental health, as I am sure it was for many others. To combat my inherent desire to backslide and procrastinate, I will be uploading monthly updates to discuss how the month has been, what movies I loved most, and what I am looking forward to in the coming weeks.

4. Reflection pieces

Some of my biggest pieces from this past year were my long-form pieces on Lady Bird and Frozen. Those pieces were a joy to write, and allow me to shine a light on how I experience movies. As such, I will continue to post these more personal pieces on "A Study in Film", though these will be posted much less frequently.

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This is the manifesto of A Study in Film going forward. I want to shine a light on why we love the art we love. We live in dark times, where the repetition of daily life can best be described as numbing. And I want to be able to feel again and share that light with you all. So keep your eyes peeled, because my favourite movie of 2021 just got a theatrical release and I can't wait to discuss it in-depth on here. Keep keeping on. Benjamin Wiebe