Film and Media Studies Commons^™

Trespassers Of Space: Rewriting Female Narratives In Mexican Cinema, Andrea Ruvalcaba

Undergraduate Theses in Art History

How have Mexican cultural figures such as Maria Novaro and Adela Sequeyo made space for themselves in the male-dominated film realm? How and why have these women dared to become “contrabandistas,” or trespassers, in a social fabric defined and governed by men? The same questions apply to the world of Mexican cinema — more specifically Mexican Feminist cinema. Throughout these pages, I will explore how the film Los Pasos de Ana (1991), by the Mexican filmmaker Marysa Sistach, integrates women’s perspectives into Mexican film culture to counteract the neutralization of powerful female representations played out across various facets of Mexican …

Pathos, Spring 2025, Portland State University. Student Publications Board

Pathos

Editor: Adriana Stanzione

The Tragic Outlaw Hero In Modern Egyptian Fiction: A Case Study On Naguib Mahfouz’S "The Thief And The Dogs", Manar Ellethy

Regards

This article examines the outlaw figure in modern Egyptian fiction

through the lens of the conceptual framework of social banditry and classical

tragedy. It offers a unique angle of analysis of one of Mahfouz’s most prolific

works that emerges in times of growing political anxiety following the Egyptian

Revolution of 1952. Reading the 1962 film adaptation of Naguib Mahfouz’s The

Thief and the Dogs directed by Kamal El-Sheikh as a projection of the socio-

political uncertainty of the post-revolution Nasser era, this paper considers the

outlaw figure within the condition of social alienation. Using the conceptual

borders set by Eric …

A Polyphonic Adaptation: Noir Sensibilities In Naguib Mahfouz And Salah Abu Seif’S Take On Émile Zola’S "Thérèse Raquin", Fadi Awad Elsaid

Regards

In 1951, Salah Abu-Seif directed Lak Yūm yā ẓālim (Your Day Is Coming) – scripted by Naguib Mahfouz – adapting Émile Zola’s Thérèse Raquin (1867). In their third collaboration, Abu-Seif and Mahfouz went beyond merely adapting Zola’s novel – they also incorporated traits and techniques from film noir, creating what this article terms a “polyphonic adaptation” that draws from multiple sources. While their partnership is often credited with pioneering realism in Egyptian cinema, this article argues that the film’s crime-thriller elements invite a reassessment of that narrative. Although adapting French novels was common in pre-1952 Egyptian cinema, their …

The 1953 Codes: Rayyā And Sakīna On Screen (1953-2005), Elena Chiti

Regards

This paper examines on-screen representations of female criminals. It focuses on Rayyā and Sakīna, two sisters who were arrested in Egypt in 1920 and executed in 1921. Since 1953, the sisters have inspired movies and TV series that have entrenched their myth in popular culture. Rayyā and Sakīna are at the core of narratives that bear moral imperatives on societal issues, such as the place of women in society and the relation of the nation to its margins. I will argue that, until a recent off-screen resignification, Rayyā and Sakīna have not been deeply resignified in Egyptian movies. Instead, they …

Review Of Sudan, Remember Us, Esther Sprague

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Awful, Yet Awe-Full: The Sublime Dystopia Of Blade Runner 2049, Charles E. Butt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Blockbuster dystopian sci-fi features stories of environmental collapse, authoritarian governments, out of control corporations, unbounded consumerism, and other awful possibilities. Scholars of science fiction broadly agree that this genre explores collective fears, anxieties, and speculations about the present and future. At the same time, film scholars have established that dystopian sci-fi cinema is compelling, and audiences respond to their effects-driven visuals, photorealistic mise-en-scene, and dramatic narratives. This creates an apparent paradox: Blockbuster cinematic aesthetics portray undesirable worlds desirably. I resolve this paradox by arguing that the worldbuilding of spectacle-driven, dystopian sci-fi cinema is Romanticized. That is, the provocative style of …

Redux Redux, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Redux Redux (2025), dir. Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus.

The True Beauty Of Being Bitten By A Tick, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick (2025), directed by Pete Ohs.

The Infinite Husk, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of The Infinite Husk (2025), directed by Aaron Silverstein.

We Bury The Dead, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of We Bury the Dead (2024), directed by Zak Hilditch.

Beyond The Battle: Historical, Religio-Philosophical, And Literary Depths Of Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, Ronald S. Green

Philosophy and Religious Studies

This paper argues that Demon Slayer: Mugen Train is not merely an animated cinematic phenomenon but a multifaceted narrative that intricately weaves together diverse elements of Japanese cultural heritage. It offers a unique lens through which to examine some of the complexities of Japan's sociocultural and philosophical landscapes and conversely, the impact of these on the film. It makes this argument in three sections: (1) The Importance of the Historical Setting in Demon Slayer, (2) Shintō, Buddhism, and Confucianism in Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, and (3) Relations to Antecedent Representations of Dreaming in Japanese Literature and Anime.

This article was …

Peace Engagement And Non-Negotiable Commitment Through An In-Depth Lens (P.E.N.C.I.L) Theory: A Film Perspective On Un’S Conflict Resolution, Edward Moses Sam Selvaraj

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

This paper introduces the P.E.N.C.I.L. Theory—Peace Engagement and Non-negotiable Commitment through an In-depth Lens—as a metaphorical and analytical framework for understanding the United Nations Security Council’s role in conflict resolution. Using the symbolic structure of a pencil, the theory critiques the Council’s decision-making power ("the lead") and its human consequences ("the eraser"), highlighting how failures in peacekeeping and diplomacy disproportionately affect civilian populations. Drawing on constructivist theory, the paper argues that norms and social narratives, especially those shaped by cinema, are critical in holding international institutions accountable. Through close analysis of films such as Hotel Rwanda, Sometimes in April, and …

The Age Of Disclosure, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of The Age of Disclosure (2025), directed by Dan Farah.

Towards Active Learning Practice: A Theory To Practice-Led Model. Part 1: Principles Of Student-Centred Learning, Strutts Psyridis

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

This monograph explores Active Learning as a student-centred pedagogical model that bridges theory and practice in screen education. It examines constructivist approaches, metacognition, and situated learning, arguing for performative, embodied teaching methods. The paper highlights tensions between traditional instruction and experiential learning, proposing adaptable frameworks for enhancing engagement, autonomy, and transferable skills.

Towards Active Learning Practice: A Theory To Practice-Led Model. Part 2: Implementing The Al Classroom., Strutts Psyridis

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

Part two of this monograph series  explores the implementation of Active Learning in praxis. Focused on facilitative teaching, it  positions educators as guided, responsive practitioners who actively balance explicit instruction with learner autonomy. The paper outlines principles for structuring units of learning, including clearly defined outcomes, participatory expectations, assessment transparency, and strategies for fostering a positive learning environment.

Exploring Homogeneity In Today's Cultural Expression, Roderick Hunt

Digital Laboratory: Publisher of Internet Journal

This article examines the increasing cultural homogeneity driven by the internet's global reach and accessibility. Roderick Hunt—an educator, brand expert, and fashion designer—integrates writing into his creative practice and brand ethos. Through his label, Uniform Journal, he merges ideas and products, emphasizing both form and function. In a Q&A discussion, Hunt explores how the internet has influenced contemporary cultural practices and challenges the notion of originality in an era of digital interconnectedness.

Towards Active Learning Practice: A Theory To Practice-Led Model. Part 3: Engagement, Motivation And Classroom Management, Strutts Psyridis

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

Part 3 of this continuing series on Active Learning examines engagement, motivation, and classroom management within active learning environments, arguing that meaningful engagement is performative, designed, and context-dependent. Drawing on creative industries, intrinsic motivation theory, flipped classroom models, and digital pedagogies, it proposes that effective teaching integrates facilitation, structure, and adaptive strategies to sustain learner agency, participation, and deep learning.

Dead Lover, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Dead Lover (2025), directed by Grace Glowicki.

Touch Me, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Touch Me (2025), directed by Addison Heimann.