Ecofeminist Sensorium Mise-en-scène in The Scent of Green Papaya

This paper proposes a new theoretical framework for analyzing the role of gendered sensorium mise-en-scène in the context of the Anthropocene. Through theoretical inquiry and textual analysis, this study explores the shift from anthropocentrism to feminist ecocentrism in film, examining how this gendered approach enhances storytelling and frames the relationship between spectatorship, cinema, and environmental justice. Specifically, it investigates how The Scent of Green Papaya (1993) integrates sensorium storytelling with ecofeminism. The film intertwines the framing of bodies, from micro to macro, from individual female protagonists to socio-political issues at the backdrop, centered around feminine voices who engage with their non-human environments through a heightened sensory experience beyond the audio-visual. By examining the aesthetic stylistics of ecofeminist sensorium mise-en-scène, this paper aims to establish a new cinematic framework for ‘staging’ ecological interconnectedness. It questions whether ‘deep ecology’ can be represented as more corporeal through feminine senses in cinematic portrayals.