CfP: Reliving Disaster: Film- History- Identity

The London Consortium Presents
Re-Living Disaster: Film – History – Identity
GRADUATE CONFERENCE

April 29-30 2010

University of London, Birkbeck
London, United Kingdom

Abstracts are invited for papers exploring the following issues from a
wide range of disciplinary perspectives.

This conference explores the interplay between film, identity and
history in the context of crisis and catastrophe. We approach the topic
through analysis of particular films as well as through a theoretical
consideration of the work of film as medium.  It is not so much the
crisis or the catastrophe itself, but the cultural function of its
filmic representation in engaging collective memory, history and
identity that draws our attention. Crisis and catastrophes serve as a
narrative strategy and mode of representation in order to make history
accessible. As films reconstruct the past according to present readings
of historic events, the reworking of catastrophes and crisis in
audiovisual media oftentimes serves to legitimate current collectives.
This generates questions about the exclusion of certain visions of the
past and about the possibility to interrogate dominating historical
narratives through audiovisual media, and particularly through film.
Indeed, interrogating the filmic affinity for  catastrophes and crisis
requires attention to the audiovisual media as such, articulating the
correlation between the logic of collective identity building and the
inherent logic of media and genre, the relation between transnational
media distribution and local reception, and the possibilities of medial
resistance.

Papers are invited to consider these issues, but also other possible
approaches, encouraging submissions from a range of disciplines in the
fine arts, humanities, and social sciences. Speakers should be prepared
for a 20-minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of questions.

Deadline for submissions: February 15 2010
Please send a 250-word abstract, as well as a brief biography (100
words) to relivingdisaster AT googlemail.com Proposals should list paper
title, name, contact details, institutional affiliation and any
necessary audiovisual requirements.
Successful applicants will be notified by March 1, 2010.

Please note there is a conference registration fee of £30.00, which
will be due by March 15 2010.  We regret that travel funding for
conference participants is not available at this time.

For more information:
Website: www.relivingdisaster.wordpress.com
Email: relivingdisaster AT googlemail.com