How can the traumatic history of enslavement be represented in film and on TV? In this seminar, we will look at foundational artefacts from TV and film culture. In the United States, the TV series Roots (1977) was one of the first attempts to acknowledge trauma and provide narrative agency to the depicted enslaved characters. Contrasting feature films and TV series, we will analyse how different commemorative practices have emerged since the late 1970s until now. In this endeavour, we will also discuss the increasing aesthetic range in visual representations of slavery from more traditional depictions in historical drama such as Stephen Spielberg’s Amistad (1997) and Michael Apted’s Amazing Grace (2006), to Quentin Tarantino’s infamous “Spaghetti” Western Django Unchained (2012), Steve McQueen’s body cinema in 12 Years A Slave (2013) and more recently The Underground Railroad (2021). In addition to the close reading of these visual materials, students will also be familiarised with theoretical concepts such as Paul Gilroy’s “the Black Atlantic” and Kobena Mercer’s “the burden of representation”.
It is strongly recommended to watch at least some of the shows/films before the new semester starts. A reader and access to Moodle with further material will be provided at the beginning of the class.
Roots (1977, TV Mini Series)
Amistad (1997, Stephen Spielberg)
Amazing Grace (2006, Michael Apted)
Django Unchained (2012, Quentin Tarantino)
12 Years a Slave (2013, Steve McQueen)
The Underground Railroad (2021, Barry Jenkins)
