Spring 2015 and fall 2014 seminars: Ph.D. candidate, comparative literature
Elizabeth Wijaya earned her B.A. in English literature and M.A. in literary arts at the National University of Singapore under the ASEAN Scholarship and the Research Scholarship, respectively. Her areas of interest include trauma theory, media theory, and critical theory (particularly hauntology and deconstructive thought); Southeast Asian and East Asian cinema (especially Taiwan cinema); and ethics and aesthetics. She has been published on Derrida and Levinas in Derrida Today. While pursuing her M.A., Wijaya was also preparing for her first feature-length codirectorial film, I Have Loved, shot on location in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The film was nominated for the Best Cinematography award in the 24th Singapore International Film Festival and represented Singapore at the Asia-Pacific Screen Awards 2012. It also competed in various international film festivals including the Asian New Talent Awards at the 15th Shanghai International Film Festival. Wijaya is part of a collective of Southeast Asian filmmakers, 13 Little Pictures (13littlepictures.com). With the collective, she co-organized a film workshop held during December 2012 in Luang Prabang, Laos, for Southeast Asian independent filmmakers. The forging of communities and collaborative efforts interest her both theoretically and practically. Wijaya is also actively involved in Cornell Cinema's Student Advisory Board.