Towards a Contemporary Canon: Cinema in the 21st Century

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm

'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’
(USA / Michel Gondry / 2004)  
Hosted by Professor Bob Cousins (New Media)
 
In just over a decade, cinema has undergone radical transformations at every level, from production to distribution to exhibition.  While apparent death knells have tolled many times before for both the art form and the medium itself, cinema’s capacity to frequently revivify and reinvent itself can be taken as a sign of its vitality – not a portent of its imminent demise. Rather than lament the passing of an era, this series will look forward to new possibilities and creative currents within film and video art produced since the turn of the 21st Century. Initiated and sponsored by the Department of New Media, various scholars from the University of Lethbridge will introduce and screen their choices for some of the most momentous cinematic works of the last ten years. Towards a Contemporary Canon will present a vibrant glimpse of cinema’s future and agitate for the importance of understanding and appreciating its current transitions.