Investigating The Narrative Space through Reader- Viewer Experience in Film “Roma”

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the spatial connections within narrative space and gain insights into the perceptual and experiential processes of individuals in the context of architectural space as portrayed in the written word (movie scripts) and movie representations. The transformation of the subject's experience occurs while transitioning between textual and visual forms of space, due to inherent distinctions between the two mediums. The comprehension of the subject's encounter inside the realms of textual and cinematic domains facilitates the establishment of connections among the diverse narrative spaces.

The film "Roma" was chosen as a pilot study for this aim because of its rich spatial representations in both mediums and since it was written and directed by the same artist, Alfonso Quaron, avoiding multi-layered interpretation processes. The investigation of the house, which serves as the film's main backdrop, is carried out via protocol analysis. Within the framework of protocol analysis, a two-stage technique is implemented: conducting interviews and assessing participants' mental sketches. The data were categorized based on thematic groupings, which are created according to theoretical background, in the AI-based Atlas.ti software, a tool designed for qualitative data analysis. The present study involves a focus group including 13 students from the department of architecture. Through a preliminary investigation, the current study examines the reproduction process of various representations of the narrative space inside the perceptual layer of the subject's spatial perception. In prospective research endeavors, it is expected that the investigation will be conducted on a broader scale by expanding the participant group. This study can be carried forward with the question of how imagination and remembering are constructed in the process of spatial reading through literary and cinematic narrative. As a result, this study, which focuses on the subject's role and its perceptual-experiential layers, can contribute to future research regarding the understanding and transmission of evolving spatial contexts at the intersection of the physical and abstract realms at the human- scale in the context of architectural education.