Ethics Around the Table with Rachel Schaevitz

Rachel joined the Program in Humanities and Human Values for a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Public Humanities through Fall 2017.  She comes to Chapel Hill from Philadelphia, where she earned her Ph.D. in Media & Communication from Temple University, focusing on using media and the humanities as vehicles for social change.  While cinema has been her primary focus, with a  background in independent film production as well as an MFA in Film Studies from Boston University and BFA in Film Production from New York University, she is an art lover at heart and looks forward to planning exciting events across the humanities.  She lives in Chapel Hill with her husband, two children, and dog.

This event is free & open to all – lunch will be provided.

American Film as Propaganda: Ethical Implications of a Night at the Movies

This presentation will begin with a brief overview and discussion of propaganda films throughout history such as Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin,  Leni Reifenstahl’s Triumph of the Will and Frank Capra’s Why We Fight series. These films were created in close collaboration with government officials in an effort to promote a political agenda and persuade and inspire viewers toward a particular point of view.  Once we learn about how these propaganda films function, we’ll take a look at clips from popular American film and television, and see how these movies and TV shows may or may not include propagandistic elements.  Are these films successful in persuading you of a certain idea?  How does characterization play into or resist existing stereotypes?  Do filmmakers have an ethical obligation to consider the persuasive power of their medium or should they just concern themselves with telling a great story?

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