Film on Photo / Vice Versa

Film on Photography, Photography on Film / Etic
and Emic perception

This is a graduate seminar. We will be looking at
several films and art works that position either
film or photography as a central critical and
cultural agent in contemporary conversations about
art, politics and/or as an indispensable agent in
deciphering the world's condition and our place in
it. Weekly readings come from contemporary popular
and critical texts as well as from the social
sciences. Particularly relevant will be a
discussion of etic and emic perception - the
theories around the value of an outsider looking
in versus an insider describing their position.
Beyond this, there is the conversation of the
impact of photography and film positioned as an
active agent, protagonist or antagonist, in
contemporary communication and art. We will take
on the conversation of the intended, actual and
metaphoric role of the image (both moving and
still) as a powerful actor or misleading
character. A significant goal will be to develop a
sense of our stake and goal as receivers of image
information and reviewing our capacities as well
as checking some blind spots. Some written
responses will be required and a final
presentation by the students that should be based
on the various films, works, writings and topics
that have been brought up through our work
together.