This week’s reading highlights how difficult it is for theorists to classify K-films and the idea that they are a cross between fiction, non-fiction and experimental films. Through the author’s research, many interesting points are raised about what makes the up the essay film which we can relate to K-films.

One of the main points raised is the personal, subjective and reflective voice of the author that comes through these films. As K-films are first-person observations, the personal idea of essay films can be applied in this way. It demonstrates the author’s critical reflections on a problem and doesn’t close an argument but provokes thought. This is true for K-films which don’t explicitly state the author’s argument through voice-overs like other documentary style films, but provokes thoughts, ideas, and meanings that the audience interprets in their own way.

The text suggests that essay films aren’t anonymous or collective, but represent a single authorial view. This is interesting as it picks up on a point that Adrian has been driving home since the beginning of semester; that when making K-films you should be making it for yourself rather than having the audience in mind.

Lyotard’s view that “there is no truth, just truth-making” is interesting as it reflects the idea that essay films and K-films alike shouldn’t be explicit and tell the audience the truth, but should allow the audience to take their own interpretation of the author’s version of ‘truth’. The text also mentions that the meaning of the essay film is constructed through the dialogue between the author, film, and spectator. It is also heavily reliant on the spectator’s subjectivity as they can take their own meaning from it. This can also be said for K-films which allow authors to convey their observations and ‘reality’ through the way they convey meaning through the patterns between their clips, and allows audiences to find their own meaning through their interaction with the film.

Good says that essay films “aim to preserve something of the process of thinking” which suggests that while K-films may not be able to be defined by genre, they most certainly are a snapshot of the author’s observations, the meaning they take from their footage, and the thought provoking interest that allows audiences to interact with it.