Invitation Balvant Parekh Distinguished Lecture Series 2016 Balvant
Transcription
Invitation Balvant Parekh Distinguished Lecture Series 2016 Balvant
FORUM ON CONTEMPORARY THEORY A Member of the Consortium of Humanities Centers & Institutes(CHCI) C-304 Siddhi Vinayak Complex, Behind Baroda Railway Station (Alkapuri Side) Faramji Road, Vadodara-390007 Tel: (0265) 2320870; E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.fctworld.org DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Faculty of Arts The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda Vadodara-390002 Three Day Workshop on New American Cinema Jointly Organized by Forum on Contemporary Theory, Baroda (A Member of the Consortium of the Humanities Centers and Institutes) & Department of Political Science The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda 2-4 August, 2016 Time : 11am-4 pm Venue: Centre for Contemporary Theory, Baroda By Dr. Pravina Cooper Lecturer in Comparative Literature Department of Comparative World Literature and Classics California State University, Long Beach, U.S. The workshop will explore recent American cinema, particularly independent cinema. It will examine the various facets of independent film making in the United States since the late 70s including aesthetics, context, formal characteristics, issues of authorship and production in recent Indie films in the U.S. The classes will be conducted in lecture/discussion format and will include screening of several film excerpts. In the 1970s, visionaries such as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Robert Altman and George Lucas created movies that defined their era. Trained at Film School these directors shared the avant garde sensibilities of their European mentors. Soon after, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were to change the industry standards with their high concept blockbuster productions. At a time when mainstream cinema was charging towards high-concept and action charged film by major studios and their profit-seeking owners, Steven Soderbergh's Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989) was released and the new American Independent cinema movement was born. The studio mindset had been broken. In 1994, Quentin Tarantino's release Pulp Fiction (1994) became a pop culture phenomenon. This was followed by a wave of excellent directors with similar sensibilities. These directors captured the zeitgeist of the times – whether it was male insecurities in David Fincher’s Fight Club (1999), man's relationship to technology in Spike Jones' Her (2013) or the dissolution of family in Sam Mendes' American Beauty (1999).These new Indie directors set new boundaries in the art of moviemaking, creating a new cinematic language, and recasting audience expectations. We will interrogate the role of American Indie films via a diverse array of screenings. Attention will be paid to the relationship between film and society/film and history. During the course of the workshop we will watch lengthy excerpts from the films. Students are encouraged to watch the films ahead of class. Please note: Syllabus and movies are subject to change. Day 1: Auteur Hollywood: Making Sense of the American Mind: 1970's What and how was Coppola key to the formulating of Auteurism? How is Auterism defined in the context of American cinema? What were some of the negotiations, compromises, expectations of indieblockbusters? The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972) [long excerpts], Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976) [excerpt], Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979) [excerpt], Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975) [excerpt] Day 2:The Indie-Blockbuster How did the Hollywood Industry accommodate indie films? What was it about Sex, Lies and Videotape that was so crucial to the formulating of American Indie cinema? What is boutique cinema? Sex, Lies, and Videotape (Steven Soderbergh, 1989) [excerpt], Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994) [excerpt], Fargo (Joel and Ethan Coen, 1996) [excerpt], Fight Club (David Fincher, 1999) [excerpt], Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight Trilogy (Linklater) [excerpts] Day 3: A New World: Contemporary Cinematic Trends What is meant by the New Cinema of Attractions? What is puzzle cinema? American Beauty (Sam Mendes, 1999) [excerpt], Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000), The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow, 2008) About Pravina Cooper Dr. Cooper received her Ph.D. in Comparative World Literatures and Film Studies in October 2005 from UCLA. Her teaching interests include Genres in Film and Theater, critical theory, transnational literatures (emphasis on British and French Modernisms) and Media Studies. She currently teaches comparative literature, theater and film in the Comparative World Literature and Classics Department at California State University, Long Beach. She has presented papers on cinema and contemporary television's "Mad Men" series, American Comedy genre and Bollywood cinema. She has published in journals such as Asian Cinema and The Journal of Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies. Criteria for Participation and Registration Fee The workshop is open to students and scholars across disciplines; mostly in the humanities and social sciences and is especially suitable as a foundation for further scholarly research into film. A formal background in film studies is not a prerequisite. Each participant is required to pay a registration fee (nonrefundable) of Rs. 3,000/- (Rupees three thousand only) to the Forum on Contemporary Theory through a bank draft drawn on a bank in Baroda. The registration fees for students of M.S. University is Rs.1,500/- (Rupees one thousand five hundred only). The last date of receiving the fee is July 25, 2016. It will take care of his/her course fee, tea and lunch. The participants will not be paid by the organizers for their travel. Outstation participants may make their own arrangements for stay in Baroda or get in touch with the local convener. Course material will be e-mailed only after receiving the registration fee. Attendance The participants are required to attend all the sessions and to stay until the end of the workshop in order to get the certificate of participation. Address for Correspondence Local Convener Lajwanti Chatani Professor and Head Department of Political Science The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara Email: [email protected] Local Coordinator Ananya Ghoshal Academic Fellow Forum on Contemporary Theory Baroda Email: [email protected]