Cinema & Politics – Film programme and Discussions
Cinema & Politics is a film and discussions programme that proposes a critical and reflective analysis of the impact of cinema on contemporary society, addressing philosophical, socio-economic and socio-cultural issues. Through a careful selection of films that explore relevant themes, such as power, democracy, (in)equality, freedom, justice, resistance, memory, ecology, globalization, among others, this cycle aims to stimulate debate and reflection on the relevance of cinema in understanding today’s world.
The programme also offers a space for discussion and exchange of ideas – the sessions will always be followed by discussions, moderated by researchers and students, with the participation of guests with a direct connection to the proposed theme, thus seeking to deepen reflection and encourage the collective construction of the knowledge.
The programme is organized by the research group Cinema & Politics: Philosophical Approaches, within the scope of the activities of the Laboratory of Cinema and Philosophy (CineLab) and with the support of the Laboratory of Dissemination (OutLab) of the NOVA Institute of Philosophy (IFILNOVA) of the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences (NOVA FCSH).
This session will take place at Cossoul (Sociedade de Instrução Guilherme Cossoul). The screening will be followed by a debate with André Santos Campos, researcher at IFILNOVA, responsible for the research project “Present Democracy for Future Generations”, and Mariana Varela, sociologist, writer and coordinator of DiEM25 Portugal. The debate will be moderated by Marta Fiolić, member of the research group Cinema & Politics.
What is Democracy
Astra Taylor
2018 | 1 h 47 min
Trailer
Coming at a moment of profound political and social crisis,What Is Democracy? reflects on a word we too often take for granted.
Director Astra Taylor’s idiosyncratic, philosophical journey spans millennia and continents: from ancient Athens’ groundbreaking experiment in self-government to capitalism’s roots in medieval Italy; from modern-day Greece grappling with financial collapse and a mounting refugee crisis to the United States reckoning with its racist past and the growing gap between rich and poor.
Featuring a diverse cast – including celebrated theorists, trauma surgeons, activists, factory workers, asylum seekers, and former prime ministers – this urgent film connects the past and the present, the emotional and the intellectual, the personal and the political, in order to provoke and inspire. If we want to live in democracy, we must first ask what the word even means.
Free admission.