Bordering cinematic experiences: Emotional narratives in the Irish borderland

Abstract

Memory processes influence the emotional narratives that shape the meanings of borders. However, the field of border studies has traditionally neglected the extent to which ordinary people recreate borders through everyday emotional relations in spaces of social interaction and leisure. This research addresses cinema as a bordering experience in the context of Ireland. The Irish border has been marked by an intense political conflict that informed everyday relations between groups over the years and still has a relevant influence. This situation has impacted not only the emotional significance of the border for inhabitants of border areas but also the processes of othering shaped by memories of periods of violence and animosity. In this study, ethnographic research was conducted in various border towns, which included 44 interviews and three cineforums. Based on the findings, this article details how the interdependence of memories and emotions relating to cinematic experiences is part of everyday bordering processes.