Seminar Thu 6-8 PM DOR 24 1.601 Ilias BEN MNA
Why is the presidency of George W. Bush (2001-2009) often described as the “golden age of documentary filmmaking”? What did certain documentaries offer their viewers in the post-9/11 climate of neoconservative jingoism and corporate-driven globalization?
In this course, we will explore several high-profile documentary films from the 2000s; from Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 911 to Morgan Spurlock’s Supersize Me and Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. Special focus will be given to the narrative structures of these films, which presented accessible and entertaining counter-narratives to the “regimes of truth” produced by the Bush-Cheney administration.
Through in-class discussions and case studies, we will engage these documentaries from a formal and (con)textual perspective and find out, which “gaps” they filled. In doing so, we will enhance our understanding of the role of user-generated content, collaborative filmmaking, and the widespread pursuit of information from channels outside of corporate media and official government communication.
Pending official COVID restrictions and recommendations the course will be offered in a “blended learning” format, incorporating both in-person sessions and remote learning.
Lessons take place in the classrom DOR 24 1.601 unless announced otherwise.
Recommended Literature:
Friedman, Jeffrey, et al. (2012): "The Art of Nonfiction Movie Making." Praeger; Illustrated Edition (August 17, 2012)
Kellner, Douglas (2009): "Cinema Wars: Hollywood Film and Politics in the Bush-Cheney Era." Wiley-Blackwell; 1st edition (September 13, 2011)
McIver, Damian (2010): "Popular Political Documentaries: Case Studies of Magnetic Media." University of Tasmania, July 2010
Wilkman, John (2020): "Screening Reality: How Documentary Filmmakers Reimagined America." Bloomsbury Publishing; Illustrated Edition (February 18, 2020)
Course Requirements:
MA, American Studies (2014)
For gaining 4 ECTS for this seminar: One presentation + case study
MAP: For gaining 1 ECTS in Module 6 ("Mediality"): Oral exam (10 minutes presentation + 10 minutes Q&A)
MAP: For gaining 2 ECTS in Modules 9 or 10 ("Individual Focus I/II"): Review (ca. 5 pages)
Everyone else: Participate in class