Politics Film Series

Watching film with others multiplies our political subjectivities


Every year, for the past decade, we choose a theme and we explore that theme through cinema. A film can mirror political issues, but political issues are also shaped by film (and pop culture). Moreover, thinking with cinema can also loosen this relationship and encourage us to use our political imagination.

The series runs every Friday in BAC 138 starting at 7:00 PM.

Please note the Politics Film Series is now finished for the 2019-2020 academic year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

 

2019-2020 (Theme: Cinematic Experience of East Asia)

 

Cinematic Experience of East Asia (M: Mainland T: Taiwan: H: Hong Kong)

Please note the Politics Film Series is now finished for the year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Winter Term:

Period Drama

Jan 17 Hero (M) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299977/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_4
Jan 24 Bodyguards and Assassins (H) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403130/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Jan 31 The Assassin (T) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3508840/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_7
Feb 14 Assassination (South Korea)  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3501416/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_6

Social Relationship

Feb 28 Farewell My Concubine (M)  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106332/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
March 6 In the Mood for Love (H)  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118694/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
March 13 Monga (T)  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1604900/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

 

Fall Term: (Please note films are subject to change)

War

Sept. 13 - Assembly (M) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0881200/
Sept. 20 - Rainbow Warriors: Seedia Bale (T) https://www.metacritic.com/movie/warriors-of-the-rainbow-seediq-bale
Sept.27 - Tae Guk Gi: Brotherhood of War (South Korea) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386064/
Oct. 4 - Kagemusha (Japan) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080979/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Family
Oct. 11 - Eat Drink Man Woman (T) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111797/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1
Oct. 18 - Aftershock (M) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1393746/
Oct. 25 - A Simple Life (H) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2008006/
Nov. 1 - No film (Study Week)
Nov. 8 - Still Walking (Japan) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1087578/

Comedy

Nov. 15 - Crazy Stone (M) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0843270/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1
Nov. 22 - Kung Fu Hustle (H) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373074/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1
Nov. 29 - The Great Buddha+ (T) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7010412/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

 

2018-2019 (Theme: Question of the Animal)

Question of the Animal was the 2018-19 theme of the Politics Film Series. Interrogating Aristotle, we ask “Are We Political Animals?” How does the animal figure in the constitution of human being? What would it mean to talk about the animal in and for itself? Since we are not just political animals but also Animals, what are films that figure animal thinking?

Fall Term:
  1. Sept. 14 - King Kong 1933 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024216/?ref_=nv_sr_3
  2. Sept. 21 - Bambi 1942 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034492/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
  3. Sept. 28 - Animal Farm 1954 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047834/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  4. Oct. 5 - Old Yeller 1957 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050798/?ref_=nv_sr_3
  5. Oct. 12 - The Birds 1963 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056869/?ref_=nv_sr_3
  6. Oct. 19 - Born Free 1966 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070972/?ref_=nv_sr_2
  7. Oct. 26 - Black Beauty 1971 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066834/?ref_=nv_sr_2
  8. Nov. 2  - Black Stallion 1979 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078872/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  9. Nov. 9 - Jaws 1975 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  10. Nov. 23 - Watership Down 1978 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078480/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
  11. Nov. 30 - Never Cry Wolf 1984 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086005/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  12. Dec. 7 - Gorillas in the Mist 1988 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095243/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Spring Term:
  1. January 11 - Free Willy 1993 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106965/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
  2. January 18 - The Lion King 1994 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110357/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  3. January 25 - Princess Mononoke 1997 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119698/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  4. February 1 - Best in Show 2000 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0218839/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  5. February 8 - Amores Perros 2000 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245712/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  6. February 15 - March of the Penguins 2005 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0428803/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
  7. February 22 - Reading week, no film
  8. March 1  - Wendy Lucy 2008 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152850/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  9. March 8 - War Horse 2011 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568911/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  10. March 15 - The Turin Horse 2011 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1316540/ 
  11. March 22 - White God 2014 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2844798/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
  12. March 29 - War OT Planet OT Apes 2017 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3450958/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  13. April 5 - Okja 2017 -- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3967856/?ref_=nv_sr_1