Film, TV and Visual Culture Research Group

The Film, TV and Visual Culture Research Group at the Baltic Film, Media, Arts, and Communication School (BFM) focuses on studying media content and representation through the lens of Critical Cultural Studies. This group brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines—including Film Studies, Audience Studies, and Advertising—who examine film, television, and visual culture. The interdisciplinary nature of the group’s research positions it within broader global conversations on media representation and audience studies. Their work centers on both the content of these mediums and how it is received and interpreted by audiences.

The group is currently exploring several critical research questions, including:

  • The intersection of gender and age in film, with a specific focus on aging masculinities in Estonian cinema.
  • The representation of femininities in Estonian pop music, particularly in music videos and social media.
  • A broader inquiry into the role of qualitative content analysis in contemporary screen media studies.

These questions are reflective of the group’s interest in understanding the societal and cultural implications of visual media and how audiences engage with these narratives.

The research group is co-led by Teet Teinemaa and Kerli Kirch Schneider.

 

Externally Funded Projects

The group is involved in several externally funded projects, including:

  • WIRE Horizon Europe: A project aimed at fostering research and innovation across Europe.
  • FilmEU+ Erasmus Plus: An initiative focusing on strengthening collaboration and exchange within European film education and research.

 

Recent Key Publications

Selected publications from the past four years that reflect the research focus of the group include:

  1. Kirch Schneider, Kerli and Katrin Tiidenberg (2024). “Force of Nature, Forced by Nature? Esthonus Silvanus Inspired Femininities in Pop Music.” Res Musica, 16.
  2. Davidjants, Jaana (2023). Visual Storytelling of War: Mobilizing Tatik and Papik. Journal of Visual Political Communication (Journal), 10, 2, 75−93. DOI: 10.1386/jvpc_00030_1.
  3. Teinemaa, Teet; Unt, Marge (2022). Contradictions of hegemonic masculinity and the (hopeful) potential of old age and caring masculinity in Estonian society and in films A Friend of Mine (2011) and Tangerines (2013), Journal of Aging Studies, 63.
  4. Keerdo-Dawson, Michael. (2022). Act 1, Act 2, Act 3, Act 3, Act 3… : De-centring the Climax as the Terminal of the Thematic Statement in the Interactive Film The Limits of Consent. Interactive Film & Media Journal, 2(3), 114–127.