Looking back with PhD Candidate Daddy Dibinga

LolMyThesis. I analyze the links between filming locations, the spaces captured within the television series, and the social imaginaries conveyed to understand the refiguration of Francophone West African series.

It’s all about that space. The most important concept in my doctoral thesis is the refiguration of space. My analysis of series, based on a sociospatial approach, combines filmic space, filming locations, and the social space in which these productions are embedded. This allows me to highlight the reconfiguration of spaces.

Looking back I would give three pieces of advice: To do a doctorate well, always start early and don’t wait! Make it a priority. Always maintain a perspective on your own hypotheses.

A day in the life for me as a doctoral student is like that of a pregnant person. Even when you’re making progress, you can feel a certain pressure and restriction.

When you know, you know. You always need to keep some distance from your own apprehensions, and you need to take the time to interact with others when doing a PhD. Otherwise, you can get stuck even when you may think you’re on the right track.

Back to the future. For future doctoral students, I recommend more humility, not to be pretentious, and to adopt a mindset of someone who comes to learn. And most importantly, determination!

Author Biography

Daddy Dibinga is a researcher in film studies and a PhD candidate in the subproject “Streaming Series: Spatial Stories and Production Regimes in Afronovelas” at the CRC 1265 at Technische Universität Berlin.