PCI Film Series presents ‘The Nine Muses’

Introduced by Dr Jamila Mascat (Gender Studies, UU)

Part documentary, part personal essay, this experimental film by John Akomfrah combines archive imagery with the striking wintry landscapes of Alaska to tell the story of immigrant experience coming into the UK from 1960 onwards.

Twenty-five years after the end of the Trojan War, Odysseus still has not returned home. So his son, Telemachus, sets off on a journey in search of his lost father. So begins Homer's revered epic poem, The Odyssey, the primary narrative reference point for The Nine Muses, a remarkable meditation about chance, fate and redemption.

Practical information
Date: 13 December
Time: 19.15 - 21.30
Location: Drift 21, room 0.32

KNAW Colloquium: 'Connected Migrants: Encapsulation or Cosmopolitanism'

Sandra Ponzanesi and Koen Leurs are organising a colloquium at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science (KNAW) called 'Connected migrants: encapsulation or cosmopolitanism'. The event will take place from 15-16 December 2016 at the seat of KNAW in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

This colloquium brings experts in the field together to acknowledge how boundary making and cosmopolitanisation operate simultaneously. It explores the social, cultural and political implications of migrant digital practices as grounded in everyday practice.
Academics can apply here (there is a 150 euro registration fee, maximum 50 participants in total).

Masterclass
In a masterclass, international experts Farida Vis, Kishonna Gray and Roopika Risam will equip participants with a solid theoretical grounding and methodological skill set to analyse migrant connectivity practices. The organisation also welcomes PhD students, early career researchers and advanced students interested in the topic to apply for this exciting masterclass preceding the colloquium on 14 December 2016 in Amsterdam. There is no fee for participating in the masterclass.

PCI Film Series presents 'Lift' and 'Calais, the Last Border'

Introduced by Dr Domitilla Olivieri (Gender Studies, Utrecht University)

During this edition of the PCI Film Series, Dr Domitilla Olivieri will introduce two documentaries by director Marc Isaacs.

For Lift, Isaacs installed himself in the lift of a typical English tower; and for ten hours a day, over two months, he would ride up and down with the residents, with his camera pointing at them. As people start talking to hi, we discover their lives.
The film portrays the life in a high-rise building in London and implicitly engages with questions of cultural encounter, class, everyday urban life, and the sense of home.

Calais, the Last Border takes place in the French port town of Calais. For many English citizens, this is the gateway to Europe or a place to buy cheap alcohol. For hundreds of migrants it is the final barrier in the desperate search for a new life in England. This intimate film weaves together character driven stories of refugees, migrants and English expatriates to build a picture of life in a transient town where the inhabitants dream of somewhere better.

Practical information
Date: 15 November
Time: 19.15 - 21.30
Location: Drift 21, room 0.32