threaded discussion 3

I have suggested that we should engage and be engaged by those persons who see and understand the world differently from those who sit comfortably within a dominant we society so that we might (re)imagine or discover a new place for democratic politics. And as film-goers who find ourselves more susceptible emotionally to the stimuli presented in a movie theatre, we can at times experience vicariously, yet deeply, the events, the stories, the lives of those who are different from ourselves. As individuals living in a multicultural and diverse society we should consider opening ourselves up to and welcoming such engagement and the possibilities for personal transformation in our individual sensibilities. Such a transformation might occur when one considers and compares the experiences of his or her life and the impact of those experiences on his or her identity next to those raw materials that make-up or construct the identity(ies) of those who are different from them, specifically those who have been marginalized, disregarded, and silenced by a dominant we society. I have suggested that when one truly sees Other, sees and hears the stories of difference crafted and told by the Other in film, one might come to respect the different voices and stories of those lives and thus allow him or herself to see and experience life from a new position, a transformed sensibility, where politics transcend convention. In other words, when we consider our lives next to those who are different from us, when we frame those different human stories next to our own personal human narrative we may come to understand how a particular human uncertainty and vulnerability informs all of our lives.In 300-500 words share whether or not you believe film has the potential to transform one’s political sensibilities.  And if you believe that your personal sensibilities have been (re)shaped or transformed by a particular film, say so.   The objective here is to share your thoughts pertaining to the major thesis presented in Democracy and Difference.Recommended Feature Length Film Texts:Beach Rats, 2017; Directed by Eliza HittmanBoys Don’t  Cry, 1998; Directed by Kimberly PierceBoyz ‘N the Hood , 1991; Directed by John SingletonCall Me By Your Name, 2017; Directed by Luca QuadagninoCesar Chavez: An American Hero , 2014; Directed by Diego LunaDo the Right Thing, 1989; Directed by Spike LeeGet Out, 2017; Directed by Jordan PeeleLoving , 2016; Directed by Jeff NicholsMilk, 2008; Directed by Gus Van SantMoonlight, 2016; Directed by Barry JenkinsMy Own Private Idaho, 1991; Directed by Gus Van SantSelma, 2014; Directed by Ava DuVernaySmoke Signals, 1998; Directed by Chris EyreStonewall: Where Pride Began, 2015; Directed by Roland EmmerichStraight Outta Compton, 2015; Directed by F. Gary GrayThe Birth of a Nation, 2016; Directed by Nate ParkerTwelve Years a Slave, 2013; Directed by Steve McQueenRequired Documentary Film Texts (Democracy and Difference website):*13th, 2016; Directed by Ava DuVernayA Place of Rage, 1991; Directed by Pratibha ParmarAmerica in Black &White: A Question of Identity, 2003; Films for Humanities and ScienceA Family Portrait, 2011; Directed by Melissa Leu and Jeff Haig (Student Film)Cultural Criticism & Transformation, 1997; Featuring bell hooks and Directed by Sut JhallyEthnic Notions, 1986; Directed by Marlon RiggsExploring Society: Gender, 2005Exploring Society: Race and Ethnicity, 2005Exploring Society: Social Class, 2008Further Off the Straight and Narrow: New Gay Visibility on Television, 2006; Katherine Sender Generation M:Misogyny in Media and Culture, 2013; Directed by Thomas KeithHow Racism Harms White America, 2013; Directed by John Bracey*I Am Not Your Negro, 2016; Directed by Raoul PeckLatinos Beyond Reel: Challenging a Media Stereotype, 2012Off the Straight andNarrow: Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals & Television, 1998On White Privilege, 2008; Featuring Tim WiseReel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People, 2006; Directed by Sut JhallyResponding to Diversity; 2011; Directed by Rise Sanders Weir and Tracy UllmanSoundtrack for a Revolution, 2009; Directed by Bill GuttentagThe Brandon Teena Story, 1998; Directed by Susan Muska and Greta OlafsdottirThe Bro Code: How Contemporary Culture Creates Sexist Men, 2011; Directed by Thomas Keith*The Celluloid Closet, 1995; Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey FriedmanThe Empathy Gap: Masculinity & The Courage to Change, 2015; Directed by Thomas KeithThe Origins of Cultural Studies, 1989 ; Featuring Stuart Hall*The Times of Harvey Milk, 1984; Directed by Rob EpsteinWhite Like Me, 2013; Featuring Tim Wise and Directed by S. Morris