Spring 2023 • Reading Group
Human Rights and Humanitarianism through the Lens of Documentary Film
Prerequisites: None
Exam Type: No Exam
This reading group will examine how visual representations affect the theory and practice of human rights advocacy and humanitarian efforts. Using both film screenings and written texts, we will examine the role of documentary storytelling and imagery in the human rights movement and the continued interconnectedness of media and advocacy in some of today’s most pressing human rights issues. How have representations of human suffering simultaneously informed and reformed the social meanings we ascribe to them? This course will explore the visual representations that directly affect public recognition of rights and wrongs.
Note: This reading group will meet on: 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 3/2 and 3/9. Additional time also reserved for viewing films.