Animated film has been attracting large audiences since its breakthrough in the 1920's. As a part of popular culture its significance has grown in the last 100 years, affecting viewers in many ways with its explicit and implicit worldviews. Naturally, animated film was also inspired by comtemporary thinking and culture, presenting a network of influences, which can only be untangled in its media specificty, its cultural and polical contexts.
One of these influences is an understanding of intersectional feminism, which has formed in the last decades but dates back to the beginnings of the fight for female emancipation. In its rigorousness, feminism has always divided societies, although some of its main goals are universality and inclusion. The belief that all humans are equal in theit innert worth and rights needed to be fought for and the lack of such a belief still subjects women till today.
Both feminism and animated film are changing, powerful forces which have shaped popular culture in the past, present and future.
In this course we are going to explore the history of animated film and the history of feminist theory.Texts by Maureen Furniss, Sergei Eisenstein, Christopher Holliday, Teresa De Lauretis, Raewyn Connell, and others will be used to explore the issues at hand. Furthermore we will be researching the convergences of both topics to find out how animation was mostly unaffected by feminist thinkers for a long time and how feminism as critical thinking can be represented in the medium.
Students are expected to work on the literature provided on moodle and take part in the discussion in class. For the SL students have to hold a presentation in class, for the PL a term paper has to be written.
- Dozent/in: Julia Shirley