Broken Conventions : Experimental Cinema as a Genre of Its Own

The focus of Broken Conventions is experimental cinema, that big body of film existing outside the limiting boundaries of the mainstream cinema industries. The goal is to provide a broad view of this abstract and hard-to-define area of film studies, by searching for an answer to the question; what is experimental cinema and can it be viewed as a genre of its own? In doing so, I will explore the theoretical discourse surrounding the topic, as well as provide case studies of several experimental films. I will also suggest a genre theory, as a way of determining whether or not experimental cinema can be seen as a genre, but more importantly to use it as a way of further examining the individual films and to deepen the understanding of this type of film. The topic at hand is however extremely subjective and there is no generally accepted definition, or term for that matter, concerning what experimental cinema really is. This essay will simply attempt to show the reader what it might be, depending on how you choose to look at it. I am not attempting to find a precise definition for the term experimental cinema, only to provide an overview on the matter as well as a different perspective