Film and Media Studies Commons^™

Artificial Intelligence And The Palimpsestuous Nature Of Image Documents, Brian C. O'Connor, Laurie J. Bonnici

Proceedings from the Document Academy

We propose that document engagements are palimpsestuous - meaning emerges through layered interactions between viewers and documents rather than inhering within documents themselves. A photograph of a coffee mug prompts the question "Who's Blake?" for one viewer while evoking decades of family ritual, community relationships, and funeral flowers in ice cream containers for another. Traditional cataloging systems capture surface-level nouns (coffee mug, ice cream parlor) while systematically excluding the epidata and proximity relationships where meaning lives.

Through conversations with Claude.ai about photographs - including a Lewis Hine child labor image, everyday objects, and landscapes - we demonstrate that AI systems …

Figures Of Truth And Justice: Superman & Rock Music, Kelan Vitali

CAFE Symposium 2026

The American comic superstar Superman and rock music are completely different forms of media. One performs acts of heroism, and one is performed on stage. Despite their differences, however, both are prominent symbols of inspiration and moral courage.

Disney's American Mulan, Sofia Diascro

CAFE Symposium 2026

In America, we are taught that we should live for ourselves. We are told we have personal freedom to be an individual and do what we want. Ancient China prioritized collectivism, an idea deeply rooted in Confucianism. Collectivism is about hierarchy, family, duty, and obligation. Disney’s Mulan movies differ from the Chinese legend of Mulan by emphasizing American values of individuality and self-discovery.

Mamma Mia! What Nostalgia!, Asher Leuzzi

CAFE Symposium 2026

An analysis of Phyllida Lloyd's Mamma Mia!, and how it relates to Authentic Rock Culture. Discusses the power of nostalgia, demonstrating that it can be either a positive or negative force. Generally, sound used within this film helps display energy and emotional truth, which allows for complex themes to be revealed.

Hercules In Myth And Animation: Masculinity And Heroism, Noah Bautista

CAFE Symposium 2026

Disney's Hercules is a model man in today's society who combines the best aspects of both masculinity and femininity. In the myths, however, Hercules was much different and did not act as such a bridge between femininity and masculinity at the time. Through other scholarly works, the way that masculinity, heroism, and instrumentalization are presented and used is examined. Mythological Herakles is found to be a much more aggressive archetype of a man rather than Hercules, who is based upon strength in moderation and a more social society. Each fit into the ideals of the society they come from, perpetuating …

Life Beyond The Set: A Philosophical Analysis Of Existentialism In The Truman Show, Sharlene Almanzar

CAFE Symposium 2026

This paper aims to examine The Truman Show (1998) through the existentialist ideas of philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, with particular attention to his concepts of freedom, bad faith, and self-creation, while also exploring the existentialist themes previously articulated by philosophers such as Nietzsche and Kierkegaard. The Truman Show serves as an allegory of existential freedom, demonstrating throughout that individuals are not born with an innate, fixed nature, but rather continually define themselves through their choices, ultimately illustrating Sartre’s principle that “existence precedes essence”. The concluding realization of the main character, Truman Burbank, that his world is an elaborate illusion embodies that …

Music As Memory And Narrative In American Graffiti And Dazed And Confused, Jacob Tone

CAFE Symposium 2026

This poster explores how George Lucas’s American Graffiti (1973) and Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused (1993) utilize popular music as a narrative tool to define the evolution of American youth culture. By examining the shift from the unified, diegetic radio culture of 1962 to the fragmented, ironic rock pastiche of 1976, the research highlights how Lucas creates a "communal identity" rooted in sincerity while Linklater captures the "disillusionment" of a generation adrift. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that these soundtracks are not mere background elements but serve as vital cultural archives that mediate between history and cinematic memory, shaping the way …

2026 Sundance Film Festival: Introduction, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

2026 Sundance Film Festival: Introduction

Tuktuit: Caribou, William L. Blizek, Monica Blizek

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a review of the short film, Tuktuit: Caribou (2026), directed by Lindsay Aksarniq McIntyre.

Taga, William L. Blizek, Monica Blizek

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a review of the short film, Taga (2026), directed by Jill Marie Sachs.

Together Forever, William L. Blizek, Monica Blizek

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a review of the short film, Together Forever (2026), directed by Gregory Barnes.

Rethinking Jewish Representation Amid Rising Antisemitism, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

A report on a panel that occurred at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, "Rethinking Jewish Representation Amid Rising Antisemitism: Leveraging Insights from Our Groundbreaking USC “Jews on Screen” Study to Advance Narrative Change," presented by JITC (Jewish Institute for Television & Cinema) Hollywood Bureau.

Paralyzed By Hope: The Maria Bamford Story, Sheila Nayar

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story (2026), directed by Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley.

The Story Of Documentary Film: Episode 1, “The Beginning", Sheila Nayar

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of The Story of Documentary Film: Episode 1, “The Beginning" (2026), directed by Mark Cousins.

The Incomer, Sheila Nayar

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of The Incomer (2026), directed by Louis Paxton.

The Oldest Person In The World, Sheila Nayar

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of The Oldest Person in the World (2025), directed by Sam Green.

Silenced, Sheila Nayar

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Silenced (2025), directed by Selina Miles.

Lady, Sheila Nayar

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of LADY (2026), directed by Olive Nwosu.

Time And Water, Sheila Nayar

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Time and Water (2026), directed by Sara Dosa.

Aanikoobijigan [Ancestor/Great-Grandparent/Great-Grandchild], Sheila Nayar

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Aanikoobijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild] (2026), directed by Adam Khalil and Zack Khalil.

Undertone, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of undertone (2026), directed by Ian Tuason.

Theydream, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of TheyDream (2026), directed by William David Caballero.

Sometimes I Picture You Dreaming: How American Female Directors Use Women-In-Prison Films As A Pathway For Public Education And Activism In The Era Of Mass Incarceration, Nicolette Natale

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis examines the role of female directors in creating media that showcases how prisons perpetuate sexism or gender-based violence. As mass incarceration began to take off in the 1970s, this paper begins with an analysis of Jack Hill’s The Big Doll House (1971), which often served as the model for women-in-prison (WIP) exploitation films. While Hill perpetuated the white and male gaze in The Big Doll House, Stephanie Rothman subverts oppressive gazes in her WIP film, Terminal Island (1973), and demonstrates a concern with the historical gendered realities of prison – moving beyond representations of prison on the …

Russia’S Soft Power In Nahdlatul Ulama’S Art Exhibition Russia-Indonesia: Within The Framework Of Art, Nurul Rahmawati, Ahmad Fahrurodji

International Review of Humanities Studies

This study analyzes the construction of Russian cultural diplomacy in news media coverage of art exhibitions. Russia-Indonesia: Within the Framework of Art. The research uses the method Critical Discourse Analysis with Norman Fairclough's model and concept soft power Joseph Nye and the skeleton Taxonomy of Soft Power from Ohnesorge to map actor relations in cultural diplomacy practices. The results show that Russia utilizes art, religious symbols, and collaboration with Nusantara Utama Gallery and the involvement of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) artists as an instrument of soft power to build appeal and legitimacy among the Indonesian Muslim public through cross-media discourse …

Humanity Is Evolving Its Consciousness: The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels.  Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say.  However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born—to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be.  That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an unfolding period of weeding out and alignment with the …

Domestic Violence Againts Women In Thailand: Galtung-Based Analysis Of Violence In Thai Drama “Tie Me (K)Not”, Akhdiat Dimas Abimanyu, Rahadjeng Pulungsari

International Review of Humanities Studies

This study examines the portrayal of domestic violence against women in the Thai drama Tie Me (K)not (2022) using Johan Galtung’s theory of violence, which categorizes violence into direct, structural, and cultural forms. Through qualitative content analysis, the research identifies how the drama depicts these forms of violence, reflecting broader societal issues in Thailand. The findings reveal explicit instances of direct violence, such as physical and psychological abuse, systemic structural violence through institutional failures in justice and support systems, and cultural violence rooted in patriarchal traditions that justify gender inequality. The drama not only highlights these oppressive dynamics but also …

In The Blink Of An Eye, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of In the Blink of an Eye (2024), directed by Andrew Stanton.

Framing Affect: Close Up To Feeling With Women At The Eighteenth-Century Theatre On The Twenty-First Century Screen, Ros M. Ballaster Professor

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

Period films and television dramas of the twenty-first century use scenes of attendance at the theatre by women in the (long) eighteenth century as a test of their capacity to feel. Such scenes provide an opportunity to measure the competing affordances of screen and stage regarding affect in the eighteenth century and our present moment. Explored are scenes of theatrical affect from Dangerous Liaisons (1998) to The Duchess (2008), Harlots (2017), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), Bridgerton (2020). The figure of the liberated, educated, and aesthetically sensitive woman serves in period fiction on stage, screen and page more …

Adaptation Processes In Cross - Cultural Communication Within Chinese - Indonesian Workplace Settings: An Analysis Of The Tiktok Series "Day 1 Kerja Sama Orang China. ", Shi Jie, Amelia Burhan

International Review of Humanities Studies

In the background ofChina's deepening economic engagement with Indonesia under the Belt and Road Initiative, increasing numbers of Chinese workers have entered Indonesian industrial zones, creating a workplace environment characterized by intensive cross-cultural interaction. While previous studies on cross-cultural adaptation have primarily emphasized macro-level cultural barriers and language difficulties, this research shifts attention to the micro-level communicative practices through which cultural adaptation is negotiated in everyday collaboration. Drawing on Howard Giles' Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT), this study conducts a qualitative analysis of TikTok videos depicting workplace interactions between Chinese and Indonesian workers particularly those labeled "Day 1 kerja sama orang …

Right-Wing French Media Coverage Of The Rassemblement National’S 2027 Presidential Candidates, Amelinda Sundari, Myrna Laksman-Huntley

International Review of Humanities Studies

The 2027 French presidential election has become a contest over political legitimacy, and the media play a key role in shaping candidates’ images. Within the right-wing camp, Rassemblement National (RN) presents two potential figures, Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella. Le Pen faces legal threats that could prevent her candidacy, while Bardella is projected as a successor to represent RN in the contest. Drawing on framing theory Pan & Kosicki (1993) and Critical Discourse Analysis Fairclough (1995), this qualitative study investigates right-wing French media preferences between these two candidates. The analysis examines three articles each from Le Figaro and Le …