cfp.english.upenn.edu

We are inviting papers that consider the socio-cultural ideology underlying the emerging trends in world cinema that try to grapple with the supposed roots of various emerging faces of terrorism, domestic or international, especially in the aftermath of 9/11. Across the globe, the focus has interestingly shifted from the act of ‘terrorism’ itself to the paranoia revolving around America and her allies, their insurgencies in the Middle East and the subsequent tremors felt everywhere, especially by immigrants. This shift is an important one, for quite some time now, cultural and racial profiling has been a sensitive issue for a lot of Muslims and other minorities on the American soil, especially since 9/11. For instance, travelers of Islamic origins have been frequently hauled up at airports and other such strategic points for additional security screenings. So, how has mainstream cinema portrayed dealt with such core fundamental issues? How have immigrants been portrayed as they struggle through their revelation of personal identities? How has America and other first-world countries facilitated/hindered their hopes of a better or even normal life? These are some of the issues that this collection of essays would try to address. A narrower focus would also be welcome (South Asian cinema, Sino-American movies, South American movies, Mexican movies)

Topics may include, but are limited to:
• South Asian expatriates as (in)direct victims of global terrorism.
• War and its impact on immigrants around the world
• Ordinary folks undergoing ideological changes owing to extraordinary circumstances
• Ignorance of or sensitivity to cultural diversity and its relation to the experiences of immigration
• Expatriates as terrorists
• Changing trends in attitude towards global and domestic terrorism
• Role of America (or other first world countries) in handling issues of race, culture, or morality
• Character(s) as product of the friction between ideology and reality

Please submit a 300-word abstract and a brief CV by October 2, 2012 to: Satwik Dasgupta or Leanne Troop at sdg1980@gmail.com
Full submissions are due by January 31, 2013 and must be between 7000—10000 words in the MLA format.