Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Une Poétique De La Mémoire : Lire Matière Grise, Le Film Du Réalisateur Rwandais Kivu Ruhorahoza (2011), Frieda Ekotto

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

The film Grey Matter [Matière grise] (2011) directed by a Rwandan filmmaker Kivu Ruhorahoza, is an attempt to offer psychoanalytic approaches to understanding a 1994 Rwandan genocide within the psychic and the social. This director is interested in representing the impossible, instead, he offers a poetic representation of trauma. It may be just like a dream in his psychic, wondering whether this event really happened and how to make sense of as time settles ? This noiseless film is the first feature length narrative film directed by a Rwandan who gives the world the visual interpretation of the impact of …

Paul Leduc: The Politics Of Mexican Cinema In The 1970s, Joe Hogan

Cinesthesia

It thus makes sense that critics tend to present strong arguments about the political agendas of Mexican filmmakers from the 1970s. Among the most popular in the subject is Paul Leduc, whose work has been cast as exemplary of the political ethos of the day. However, it is my position that, upon close examination, Leduc’s films seem not always to present a straightforward political message, much less one that would clearly bolster the aims of the Echeverria administration. For that reason, I will examine two of Leduc’s films, Reed: México Insurgente and Frida: naturaleza viva (1983), to reveal how they …

Chile: Cinema In Exile, Hannah Lynch

Cinesthesia

Executions, disappearances, and exile are not the first words that come to mind when picturing the long, versatile landscape of Chile. Nonetheless, Chile was under the harsh control of Augusto Pinochet from 1974 until 1990 and experienced a high level of political oppression during that time. Though Chile had only a short film history before the rule of Pinochet, cinema remained relevant despite the exile and hardships experienced by several prominent Chilean filmmakers. Ironically, under the hostile dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, Chile developed a stronger national cinema, producing politically and historically motivated films made by the exiled filmmakers, who persevered …

An Interview With Barbara Roos, Joe Hogan

Cinesthesia

Barbara Roos started teaching when Grand Valley was just a few buildings erected on a slab of midwestern prairie. Nixon was in office then, and young draftees were still being sent to Vietnam. In those days, Grand Valley – not yet a university but a cluster of colleges – was alive with the spirit of the counter-culture. William James College, among the most pedagogically experimental of the colleges, was interdisciplinary and non-departmental – it emphasized harmony between theory and practice, thought and action. At James, Roos co-founded the film and video program. In the following interview, she talks with guest …

The Lens That Sees Itself: Fruitful Interactions Of Film And Philosophy, Travis Wheeler

Cinesthesia

Much of film theory holds that film is primarily an act of communication, whose message the audience understands. While this allows us great insights into the ideological and subconscious functions of a great many films, it falls short of this success with more enigmatic films. In instances such as these, where films are not easily understood, a different paradigm is necessary. Using philosophical texts as comparative tools in film analysis provides the answer to this "blindspot" in film criticism.

Digital Vision And The Noir Hero In Claire Denis’ Bastards, Spencer Everhart

Cinesthesia

As with most directors whose careers began with (and consisted of) the process of filmmaking with actual celluloid, it was only a matter of time before French auteur Claire Denis made the transition to digital – and it was in 2013 that she did just that, abandoning physical film in favor of digital cinema for her neo-noir feature Bastards. The decision to switch wasn’t reluctant, though, as Denis had expressed an interest in experimenting with the format on her previous film White Material (2009). This aesthetic receptiveness is evident in Bastards, as it illustrates Denis’ effort to go beyond mere …

On Air, Hoi Yee, Debe Sham

Artists-in-Residence Programme : Exhibition Catalogues

The booklet features various artworks created by Ms. Debe Sham, Artist-in-Residence for 1^st Semester 2015/16, Lingnan University. These include The 3^rd Party, an interactive installation that incorporates galvanized zinc pipe with mirrors and pads, and the new Rainbow Series, with connected chairs created for ON AIR exhibition held during her residency at Lingnan. Readers can understand more about Debe’s works through various commentaries given by her mentors and members of Department of Visual Studies.

As part of the residency program, Ms. Debe Sham also taught 2015 Studio Practice Course, entitled Stepping Out: Form & …

Retrograde Returns Of The American Housewife: Reimagining An Old Character In A New Millennium, Ruth Emelia Wollersheim

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the immensely popular return of the housewife character in the twenty-first century. From films like The Stepford Wives (2004), to television dramas like Desperate Housewives (2004-2012) and The Good Wife (2009- ), to reality shows like Wife Swap (2004- ), Bravo’s The Real Housewives franchise (2006- ), Basketball Wives (2010- ), Mob Wives (2011- ), and most recently on the blogosphere with personalities like The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, the housewife character has reentered our imaginations on a mass scale. This anachronistic character trend is in stark contrast to the urban, working superwoman ideal of the 1980s …

The Production Of Sticky Notes And Bible Quotes: Godly Answers For Sticky Situations A Children’S Musical As Directed By Julie Brinkman, Julie Elizabeth Brinkman

Honors College

This thesis reflects upon a director’s experience while directing her first production: Sticky Notes and Bible Quotes: Godly Answers for Sticky Situations by Dennis and Nan Allen. This children’s musical was produced in cooperation with Wylie United Methodist Church of Abilene, TX. Over forty children, with the help of ten adult volunteers, shared the importance of memorizing scripture and looking to God’s Word in times of trouble through song, skits, and the recitation of scripture. While reflecting upon the production process after each rehearsal, the director makes connections between her experiences as director, the content of her music education undergraduate …

Overt And Covert Shandyism Of Nabokov's Nikolai Gogol, Margarit Ordukhanyan

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In her article "Overt and Covert Shandyism of Nabokov's Nikolai Gogol" Margarit Ordukhanyan examines Vladimir Nabokov's 1942 novel, an unusual biography of the nineteenth-century Russian author. Ordukhanyan discusses parallels between Nabokov's biography of Gogol and Laurence Sterne's Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy. She highlights the direct allusions and textual references Nabokov makes to Sterne's novel and argues that Nabokov uses Tristram Shandy as the model for creating and interpreting his biography of Gogol by fictionalizing Gogol and portraying him as a Shandean character. Further, Ordukhanyan discusses how Nabokov uses Sterne's novel to undermine the genre of literary …

Photography, Writing, Literature: A Book Review Article Of New Work By Brunet And Beckman And Weissberg, Geert Vandermeersche

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

No abstract provided.

Leisure And Posthumanism In Houellebecq's Platform And Lanzarote, Nurit Buchweitz, Elie Cohen-Gewerc

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In their article "Leisure and Posthumanism in Houellebecq's Platform and Lanzarote" Nuriot Buchweitz and Elie Cohen-Gewerc analyze Michel Houellebecq's novels in the context of leisure studies. They posit that in particular in Platform and Lanzarote Houellebecq explores leisure practices available in industrial societies marked by consumer culture. Further, Buchweitz and Cohen-Gewerc argue that the abundant depictions of leisure in Houellbecq's texts is not unintentional because he introduces the concept of the posthuman condition and rethinks agency and human selfhood as a consequence of the collapse of subjectivity. Employing postmodern indeterminacy, Houellebecq explores contemporary mores and debates the extinction of …

The Minstrel Legacy: African American English And The Historical Construction Of "Black" Identities In Entertainment, Jennifer Bloomquist

Africana Studies Faculty Publications

Linguists have long been aware that the language scripted for "ethnic" roles in the media has been manipulated for a variety of purposes ranging from the construction of character "authenticity" to flagrant ridicule. This paper provides a brief overview of the history of African American roles in the entertainment industry from minstrel shows to present-day films. I am particularly interested in looking at the practice of distorting African American English as an historical artifact which is commonplace in the entertainment industry today. Dialogue which is clearly meant as an imitation of African American English still results in the construction of …

The Legends Of Bigfoot: Or How I Regained My Manhood, Blaine Mccarty

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Masculinity is a culturally defined identity that exists with no single way to express it. However, the cultural politics police masculinity to appear natural and non-changing, but masculinity changes over history influenced by events and the culture from which it gets its definition. Because of this twofold influence on the identity, there is a constant struggle of the appropriate ways to express masculinity in its attempt to normalize itself by defining what is and is not masculine. This work examines how Bigfoot, the hairy fabled monster, embodies conversations about masculinity during a shift in the masculine identity in a constantly …

Resisting The Resistance: The Emancipation Of Students From The Hidden Curriculum Of Commodified Resistant Narratives In Young Adult Dystopian Film Through Open Pedagogical Space And Culture-Jamming, Robert B. Bauer

Theses and Dissertations

Young Adult Dystopian Film exercises an influence over young people of which they are not aware. As part of a structure of domination these films teach students to participate in their own oppression by the capitalist system. The film industry maintains a hidden curriculum like that utilized in school classrooms to conceal the oppression from the masses. One particularly effective means is the portrayal of resistance against oppression in the narratives of the YA Dystopian Film. Young people are drawn to that narrative and end up supporting the structure of domination financially and ideologically. Modes of resistance to this oppression …

Purkeys' 25 Year Journey, Ashleigh Brooke Galligan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The documentary film Purkeys’ 25 Year Journey takes an in-depth look at the Purkey’s family and the business they started in 1990. This 17 minute film focuses on Bruce Purkey and his daughter Robyn. They began Purkeys by supplying batteries, alternators and other parts of a heavy-duty vehicle’s electrical system to one customer, JB Hunt. As the company grew they began to be known across the nation for finding creative solutions to the electrical issues trucking fleets faced. Bruce led the team and received multiple patents for his innovations. In, 2010 Bruce’s son Justin Purkey joined the team and quickly …

Institutional Influence On Documentary Form: An Analysis Of Pbs And Hbo Documentary Programs, Mark Joseph Irving

Theses and Dissertations

INSTITUTIONAL INFLUENCE ON DOCUMENTARY FORM - A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PBS and HBO DOCUMENTARY PROGRAMS

by Mark Irving

The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, 2015

Under the Supervision of Professor Michael Z. Newman

Beginning in the 1980s, the documentary genre has undergone a transformation to accommodate modes of stylistic expression and subjective thematic exposition previously not evident in the genre. This deviation from the form’s traditional modes of expression typically associated with fact-based, journalistic pursuits can be attributed to the institutional underpinnings of media outlets that exhibit documentary programming. These institutional factors, a consequence of an evolving marketplace and shifts …

Becoming American: Constructing Mexican Immigrants In Local Newspapers, Zheng Zhu

Publications and Research

Media representation of Latino immigrants has been extensively studied by scholars across diverse academic disciplines. Particular to the U.S. context, preceding scholarships pertaining to the ways in which Latinos were represented centered on the media representation of Latino immigrants either as the exotic racial other or undesirable foreigners. In light of the important role that the Mexican immigrants played in understanding the current national debate on illegal immigration and the overall historical experiences of immigrants in Washington State (WA), this study critically investigated how news articles published in WA represented Mexican immigrants. As a crucial point of departure from prior …

Viewing Film From A Communication Perspective: Film As Public Relations, Product Placement, And Rhetorical Advocacy In The College Classroom, Robin Patric Clair, Rebekah L. Fox, Jennifer L. Bezek

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Academics approach film from multiple perspectives, including critical, literary, rhetorical, and managerial approaches. Furthermore, and outside of film studies courses, films are frequently used as a pedagogical tool. Their relevance in society as well as their valuable use in the classroom makes them an important and pragmatic medium deserving further attention. The ability of film to be used in a socio-political way may sustain, challenge or change the status quo, which supports studying film as well as teaching students about the power of film. The purpose of this article is to share the development of a course which points out …

"Brother," Enjoy Your Hypermodernity! Connections Between Gilles Lipovetsky's Hypermodern Times And Post-Soviet Russian Cinema, James M. Brandon

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In prominent French social philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky’s Hypermodern Times (2005), the author asserts that the world has entered the period of hypermodernity, a time where the primary concepts of modernity are taken to their extreme conclusions. The conditions Lipovetsky described were already manifesting in a number of post-Soviet Russian films. In the tradition of Slavoj Zizek’s Enjoy Your Symptom (1992), this essay utilizes a number of post-Soviet Russian films to explicate Lipovetsky’s philosophy, while also using Lipovetsky’s ideas to explicate the films. Alexei Balabanov’s 1997 film Brat (“Brother”) is examined in the context of Lipovetsky’s work, along with other films …

La Imposible Serenidad De Michi Panero. Una Historia Y Análisis De El Desencanto, Documental Creativo En El Tiempo De La Transición, Albert Asuncion Benedito

Masters Theses

El Desencanto es una pelicula de tipo documental creativo dirigida por Jaime Chavarri en 1976 que retrata a la familia Panero. Por su tematica y estetica contrasta con la ideologia franquista, y fue leida como un simbolo de su tiempo. A traves del analisis de sus personajes y distintas obras de ese periodo historico, este trabajo trata de analizar este componente simbolico y ofrece una lectura politica de la obra.

"A Life And Death Dilemma", Christy Lester

Undergraduate Conference on Literature, Language, and Culture

No abstract provided.

“Looking Skyward: An Analysis Of ‘Augress’ By Michael Shewmaker”, Lydia Anvar

Undergraduate Conference on Literature, Language, and Culture

No abstract provided.

“Son Of Man (Of Steel): Messianic Imagery In Zach Snyder’S Man Of Steel (2013)", Jordan Upton

Undergraduate Conference on Literature, Language, and Culture

No abstract provided.

Panic At The Drive-In: Affordance, Moral Panic, And Drive-In Theatres, Maria Chatzifilalithis

Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts

No abstract provided.

Screen Production Enquiry: A Study Of Five Australian Doctorates, Susan Kerrigan, Leo Berkeley, Sean Maher, Michael Sergi, Alison Wotherspoon

Michael Sergi

Within Australian universities, doctoral research in screen production is growing significantly. Two recent studies have documented both the scale of this research and inconsistencies in the requirements of the degree. These institutional variations, combined with a lack of clarity around appropriate methodologies for academic research through film and television practice, create challenges for students, supervisors, examiners and the overall development of the discipline. This paper will examine five recent doctorates in screen production practice at five different Australian universities. It will look at the nature of the films made, the research questions the candidates were investigating, the new knowledge claims …

Mdocs Publication-2015-11-16, Stone Phillips Helps Center Celebrate Anniversary, Anonymous Anonymous

MDOCS Publications

"Stone Phillips helps center celebrate anniversary"

The Saratogian

November 16, 2015

Author:

Now, We Hear Through A Voice Darkly: New Media And Narratology In Cinematic Art, James Anthony Ricci

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the intersection of new media and narrative, as it is presented through a cinematic aesthetic. The narrative language of film is analyzed through the theoretical framework of Bakhtin’s concepts of Heteroglossia, Chronotope, and Dialogism. Bakhtin’s ideas of classifying language act as strong tools for demonstrating how cinematic narrative can inform and alter the perception of its spectators. Lev Manovich’s principles of New Media, specifically Variability, Modularity, and Automation are also utilized to demonstrate how cinema is a constantly evolving paradigm.

Chapter one focuses on the theoretical terminology, outlining the conceptual definitions and illustrating their relevance in precise …

Mdocs Tri-Fold-2015-11-12, Exhibit: Sixty Years Young, Jordana Dym

MDOCS Publications

On November 12, 2015, the Adult and Senior Center of Saratoga celebrated its 60th anniversary with a gala. MDOCS Students Eli Ruben, 17, Phoebe Radcliffe, 17, Rebecca Walker, 18, Natasha Thaler, 18 and Tracey Wingate 18 prepared a video and exhibition, Sixty Years Young, for the event. This brochure offers a brief overview of the Center's history, drawn from its archives.

Mdocs Poster-2015-11-11, Sixty Years Young, Michael Zhou

MDOCS Publications

In support of the 60th anniversary of the Adult and Senior Center of Saratoga, Skidmore students prepared a video and exhibition, Sixty Years Young, drawing on the Center's archives and interviews, documenting its past, present and hopes for the future.