BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:The city at war: Postcommunism\, epic cinema and postcolonial reco
 gnition - Lars Kristensen\, University of Central Lancashire
DTSTART:20121119T170000Z
DTEND:20121119T200000Z
UID:TALK41460@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:T E Rowley
DESCRIPTION:Epic films have always been part of a stable diet in the consu
 mption of cinematic narratives. Epic cinema has the ability to use and reu
 se historical events for the purpose of creating a homogeneous notion of n
 ational identity. The general argument of this paper is that the postcommu
 nist condition generates an empty space for the epic national narrative to
  unfold\, as it leaves old power relations unresolved. I will focus on thr
 ee films\, which all rises out of the postcommunist condition: Attack on L
 eningrad (2009) tells the story of the Leningrad siege during the Second W
 orld War\, Defenders of Riga (2007) centres on the short period when Latvi
 a gained independence after the First World War and Battle of Warsaw 1920 
 (2011) focuses on the Miracle at Vistula when the Polish army managed to d
 efeat the approaching Red Army. Comparing these narratives of the city at 
 war\, I will be arguing that\, as epic films\, they seek international aud
 iences in the search for recognition of their present postcommunist/postco
 lonial ambitions of forming the nation anew after a period of communist/co
 lonial oppression.\n\nThis event will start with a screening of Battle for
  Warsaw 1920 (dir. Jerzy Hoffman\, 2011) and followed by Lars' paper and d
 iscussion.  \n\nLars Kristensen is an associate researcher at the Universi
 ty of Central Lancashire
LOCATION:Keynes Hall\, King's College\, Cambridge
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR