I began creating Liminal Nascence as an expansion of Jean Kilbourne’s proposition in Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising's Image of Women, that if aliens were to come to earth and observe human media, they would have no clue what the essence or experience of being a woman is really like. As I underwent production, I simultaneously completed a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies, which heavily influenced my perspective and process of making this film. I also pulled inspiration from musicians such as Raue, who’s song “Vodka & Soda” is featured in my film, and The Voidz, who frequently critique society and address what our future could look like.
Playing off of the Lacanian psychoanalysis theory of the “pre-symbolic”, which Liz Bondi describes as the stage when a young child chooses between “giving up a sense of being limitless and a sense of continuity with the rest of the world”, the aliens in my film represent the opportunity of younger human-generations to progress past our current societal state and patriarchal norms. Simultaneously, the aliens represent the “unconscious” of already existing humans, of whom have a little bit of alien left inside of them. I pulled inspiration from feminist theorist Adriana Cavarero’s claim that “philosophical discourse on the universal” is “a rather large mistake”. It assumes a universal truth for all human beings, which is often centered around the masculine. By setting a universal hierarchy of “the truth”, the lived realities of unique people go ignored while broad categorical labels are prescribed to them. The methodology of philosophy, in its attempt to grasp universal knowledge, is not progressive or effective in that it is too quick to idolize a concept before fully understanding it or exploring alternative answers. The feminist practice of sharing unique, individual life stories rather than portraying humanity as a unified figure known as “man”, allows for a deeper understanding of the human experience and avoids privileging certain voices over others. I intentionally exaggerated the patriarchal state of society in a visual manner to contrast with my main character Renata, who the aliens are able to observe from afar, yet see an up-close and passionate display as she struggles to nurture the “alien” inside herself through empowering her expressions of emotion and diverging from conventional codes.
I intended to visually connect Renata with the figure of Mother Nature, to emphasize the naturalness of feminism, while my antagonist “Father Electricity” serves as a contrasting figure symbolizing patriarchal standards. The pink ocean inside of Renata’s mind represents the reclamation of femininity and its power. As it spills out of her mind, the earth and its media are bathed in feminism until the earth's water changes hue from blue to pink. I hope that my film inspires people to learn more about feminist theory, and to carry it with them in their everyday lives like Renata, even when it can be challenging. I hope that eventually, we will get to see feminism wash over our own world, and gain the opportunity to hear personal stories from other voices that have not had a proper chance to be heard.