Mar 9 | Visual Documentation and the State by Professor Feng-Mei Heberer

Visual Documentation and the State by Professor Feng-Mei Heberer Thursday, March 9th, 12 – 1:30pm via Zoom Zoom Link: bit.ly/3kSdLE3 This talk revisits visual documentation and the documentary form in its intimate connection with state surveillance and the U.S. immigration and border police state specifically. Building on the work of self-ascribed “undocumented documentary filmmaker” Miko Revereza, I discuss the ways that visual documents such as the photograph have been wielded on behalf of U.S. immigration law and policy to control border crossings, and continue to serve as identificatory evidence in the […]

Apr 13 | Digitizing Arabic: A Story of Script Technologies with Professor J.R. Osborn

Digitizing Arabic: A Story of Script Technologies with Professor J.R. Osborn Co-sponsored by the Center for Middle Eastern Studies and Center for New Media Thursday, April 13, 12 – 1:30pm, Via Zoom Zoom Registration Link: https://bit.ly/40nTR3W The Latin alphabet and Arabic script followed very different trajectories from the handwritten page to the digital screen. Drawing upon my book, Letters of Light: Arabic Script in Calligraphy, Print, and Digital Design (2017, Harvard University Press), this talk examines Arabic script in relation to three moments of technological transformation: the formalization of calligraphic […]

Apr 20 | From Baby Jane to Bush Mama? The Rebellious Programming of Albert Johnson by Professor Josslyn Luckett

From Baby Jane to Bush Mama? The Rebellious Programming of Albert Johnson by Professor Josslyn Luckett Thursday, April 20, 4pm PT/7 pm ET, Via Zoom Zoom Link: bit.ly/3JlIVOS While the legendary UC Berkeley professor and long-time SF International Film Festival programmer is remembered for breaking out into songs from Hollywood musicals, a deeper look at his archives and writing reveal he was a significant (if overlooked) champion of the Black independent filmmakers known as the L.A. Rebellion. This talk will take up the wide-reaching scope of Johnson’s criticism and suggest […]

Media Studies Lecture Series Spring 2023 Announced!

The Media Studies program is excited to announce the Spring 2023 Lecture Series entitled “Media, Mediation, and Mediatization.” Students, staff, and faculty are all welcome to attend. For more information about the series and who our visiting lecturers are, please visit the Media Studies Events page.