Location: Opole, Poland
Date and time: 11-18 September 2022
Organisers: Centre for Governance and Culture in Europe, University of St. Gallen; University of Opole; Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Geographical Institute; Opolskie Lamy Association; Association of Secondary School Clubs of the Czech Republic; FORTHEM Diversity and Migration Lab UO; Moving.Lab.
Project description: The one-week long, on-site summer school dedicated to exploring the potential of documentary film making in social science research and dissemination of research results. It offers an innovative, practice-oriented knowledge to students, empowering them with a skill which they can use either in their future research or dissemination.
Multisensory audiovisual media help not only to overcome text-centric approaches in research by including into the critical analysis such feature as sound, rhythm, composition, as well as performance, nonverbal communication that could reveal and (literally) show tacit "know-how" knowledge, rituals, and complexity of the relationships inside the community and with external actors; but also, to construct and conduct space of encounter, exchange, experience, and dialogue.
The movie and cinema production allows establishing an alternative communication platform during the fieldwork, later with the audience, and with time as a (re)presentation of the historical, ideological period it belongs to. Visual methods are one of the possible instruments to overcome obstacles related to one-dimensional mono-rhetorical narratives that bring back "muted" histories that are still can be perceived.
Opole (Oppeln) is the historical capital of Upper-Silesia. Throughout the centuries it belonged to different state formations (Czechia, Austria, Germany, Poland). Its population was shaped by wars, forced settlements, the Holocaust, and recently by the migration from Ukraine. It is a historical-cultural borderland; a transcultural contact zone, the place of transition and encounter in time and space; the layering of rivalling identity projects and their symbolisations, tension, conflicts, creativity (marginality as the freedom to experiment and combine from the transcultural heritage); a mini-laboratory, where all the noted elements above come together, clash, erupt, and can be (re)defined.
In addition to teach practical side of the basis of film making, the mission of this summer school is – by using audiovisual materials and methods – to bring to light the social and historical aspects of the everyday experience of a city with a contested memory.
What do we offer?
During the one-week students will get acquainted with some aspects of theory and practice of documentary film making and importantly they can test/use the new skill during the summer school. The main topics covered:
1. the theoretical background of film in social sciences
2. a brief introduction to "Language of Cinema" (the storytelling, shots, takes (the technical and artistic side) and film editing, music/sound, time/rhythm, colors)
3. the practice of production:
a) from planning the project to arriving to the site
b) from shooting until the premiere
Students will work in small groups and develop their own project with 5-10 minutes long audiovisual material. The final product will be screened in a public event in Kino Meduza in Opole on 17th September, followed by discussion with audience.
Deadlines: Proposals in English should be submitted by e-mail to 2022spotlight@gmail.com by 31 March 2022. Participants will be notified of the selection results by 30 April 2022.
Eligibility: Masters’ students from Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Documents to submit:
(1) CV (1 page).
(2) a motivation letter, explaining what drives the interest of applicant in participating in the summer school, and what does the applicant’s origins mean to him/her (max. 600 words).
Selection criteria:
No previous experience in movie production is required. Preference will be given to students who have pursued studies and/or research on ethnic/symbolic boundaries, place attachment and identity, cross-border relations, transculturality and borderland identities and history of border regions. For selected applicants, the cost of participation (accommodation, boarding and travel grant) will be covered by organisers.
Call for Application