Avery Lafortune

Avery holds an MA in Art History and Curatorial Studies from Western University. She previously earned an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Art History and the School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities. Her research interests include fashion history, medieval art and the intersections of film, art and history. In 2017, Avery participated in the Vindolanda Field School in Hexam, England where she gained firsthand experience excavating Roman materials including several leather shoes. Supervised by Dr. Christine Sprengler, her MA thesis Clothed in History: Costume and Medievalism in Fantasy Film and Television investigates the function of the medieval in visual fantasy narrative with a particular focus on costume and its implications toward popular imaginings of Medieval England. This research considers how history is used for entertainment purposes and the way in which it is altered or adapted to better suit the interests of modern audiences. Currently, Avery is gaining hands-on experience in the film industry working in the art departments of Vancouver-based productions.

FANTASTIC HISTORY: UNDERSTANDING THE PAST THROUGH FANTASY FILM AND TELEVISION

Longstanding debates exist in film scholarship about historical representation in film. The history film is judged for its historical authenticity which is measured by its relation to written history (the historian’s standard for historical accuracy). However, many films visually quote history without being posited as history films. These films contribute to popular imaginings of the past nonetheless. One such example is the use of medieval aesthetics and culture in fantasy narrative. This paper explores how history is presented in three medieval-based fantasy case studies: Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), select episodes from HBO’s Game of Thrones (2011-2019), and Andrew Adamson’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005). It is argued that despite a disinterest in “accuracy,” the historical references found in these films can be read as a type of historical text, one that is worthy of study, speaks to our understanding of history and raises questions about its place in society today. This paper explores the implications of the enormous popularity of these franchises and the ways in which they reinvent the past for entertainment purposes.