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Utopian Cinema #1: Lost Horizon

For at least 40 years, cinematic depictions of dystopia have been more or less ubiquitous in our culture. The converse, however - films about utopia - are extraordinarily rare throughout film history.

This dearth of specimens is probably the reason why films depicting utopia have rarely been considered alongside one another or theorized as a genre.

But I want to do just that.

Twice a week throughout the month of August, we will watch a selection of “utopian” films and then discuss them as a group.

How do these films mark the societies they depict as utopian? What cliches do we notice? What moments of originality strike us? How is the depiction of utopia conditioned by the time, place and circumstances in which the film was made? How is spectator or narrative interest created around a subject that implies the absence of conflict? How do the films' aesthetics relate to their political perspectives? Is there something utopian itself about the way the film is constructed?

Lastly: I would like to take notes during the discussion portion of the class, and at the end of the month use these notes as the basis to create a short zine on the subject. This would serve as a document of our investigations together and as a starting point for anyone else interested in Utopian Cinema. Any other participants would be welcome to contribute reflections on the films we watched, or artwork or writing inspired by them. Free copies would then be printed up and distributed during the last week of the school.

****Every Wednesday & Saturday from 20:00 - 22:00****
(21:00 on August 17)

Full schedule & class description below.


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1st SCREENING: LOST HORIZON
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*THE* classic utopian film. The story of the hidden Himalayan city of Shangri-La, as depicted by classic Hollywood liberal sentimentalist Frank Capra (director of It's a Wonderful Life)

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CLASS DESCRIPTION
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For at least 40 years, cinematic depictions of dystopia have been more or less ubiquitous in our culture. The converse, however - films about utopia - are extraordinarily rare throughout film history.

This dearth of specimens is probably the reason why films depicting utopia have rarely been considered alongside one another or theorized as a genre.

But we want to do just that.

Twice a week throughout the month of August, we will watch a selection of “utopian” films and then discuss them as a group.

How do these films mark the societies they depict as utopian? What cliches do we notice? What moments of originality strike us? How is the depiction of utopia conditioned by the time, place and circumstances in which the film was made? How is spectator or narrative interest created around a subject that implies the absence of conflict? How do the films' aesthetics relate to their political perspectives? Is there something utopian itself about the way the film is constructed?

Lastly: I would like to take notes during the discussion portion of the class, and at the end of the month use these notes as the basis to create a short zine on the subject. This would serve as a document of our investigations together and as a starting point for anyone else interested in Utopian Cinema. Any other participants would be welcome to contribute reflections on the films we watched, or artwork or writing inspired by them. Free copies would then be printed up and distributed during the last week of the school.

SCHEDULE

 

Wednesday, August 3, 20.00:
(in conjunction with the Decolonizing Utopia working group)

 

Sunday, August 7, 20.00:

 

Wednesday, August 10, 20.00:
(in conjunction with the Decolonizing Utopia working group)

 

Sunday, August 14, 20.00:
(in conjunction with the Decolonizing Utopia working group)

 

Wednesday, August 17, 21.00:
(in conjunction with the Decolonizing Utopia working group)

 

Sunday, August 21, 20.00:

  • Hook (1991, Steven Spielberg)

 

Wednesday, August 24, 20.00:

 

Sunday, August 28, 20.00:

Earlier Event: August 3
Decolonizing Utopia: A working Group
Later Event: August 4
Copy of Dictionary of the Present