Being Nick Von Sternberg: Critical Parodies of Film Students in Anglophone Cinema

This article explores the complex and often contentious representations of film students in anglophone cinema, particularly as portrayed in Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir (2019) and its sequel The Souvenir Part II (2021). By examining the historical context of film education since its inception in the 1930s, it highlights the persistent tensions between academia and the film industry, which have shaped the portrayal of film students on screen. The article argues that while earlier representations often lean towards negative stereotypes—depicting film students as privileged, narcissistic, or detached from reality—more recent films, especially those from the 2010s onward, offer more nuanced portrayals that reflect the diverse, lived experiences of film students. Through a critical analysis of various films, this article illustrates how narratives such as Dear White People (2014), Dolemite Is My Name (2019), and Hogg’s works, provide more authentic insights into the film school experience, emphasizing the importance of personal voice and artistic development over mere vocational training and seeing Film as a ‘Mickey Mouse’ course. Ultimately, the article contributes to a growing discourse on the representation of students in media, advocating for a more comprehensive understanding of the specific contexts of film education in shaping both individual identities and broader cultural narratives and education and Cinema.