cfp.english.upenn.edu

In this century, corporate cinema production has experienced an economic and technological crisis. Yet “glocal” productions featuring global topics, such as human rights, climate, conflict, migration, as well as sports and cultural patterns, have met with worldwide success and challenged the hegemony of Hollywood. Examples are “An Inconvenient Truth” (Davis Guggenheim, 2006), and “Lost Children” (Ali Samadi Ahadi/Oliver Stoltz, 2005).

This seminar explores the narrative strategies employed in such films to foster global awareness as well as global action. This genre typically merges fiction/feature and factual/documentary traits. Docufictions/-drama, mockumentaries and feature films dealing with real issues in portraying “life as it is” are included as well, such as “Traffic” (Steven Soderbergh, 2000), and “Blood Diamond” (Edward Zwick, 2006).

Papers on any aspect of such “glocal” cinema — production, distribution, analysis, aesthetics — are welcome.

Deadline: November 13, 2009
http://www.acla.org/submit/index.php

American Comparative Literature Association Annual Meeting
Creoles, Diasporas, Cosmopolitanisms
April 1-4, 2010, New Orleans