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STRUCTURED FILM RESPONSE

A) Select one of the following films (More details and access information provided below):

1) Fire in the Blood. Dartmouth films, 2013, London, directed by Dylan Mohan Gray.

2) American Factory. Higher Ground Productions, 2019, United States, directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert.

3) Even the Rain . Morena Films, 2010, Spain/Mexico, directed by Icíar Bollaín.

B) In no less than 250 and no more than 350 words each, answer 4 out of 5 of the following questions in relation to the film you have selected:

1) West and the Rest: In what way do beliefs/discourses about racial or cultural difference shape the events portrayed in this film? Who deploys these discourses? To describe whom? To whose benefit? To what extent do these match up with, or not, the discourse of the West and the Rest as described by Stuart Hall?

2) Uneven development: In class, we used the term “uneven development” to refer to the ways that capitalism/markets/businesses both produce differences between places and people and use those differences. In what way can you use this concept to understand the events portrayed in this film? What sorts of material differences are important and what purpose do they serve?

3) ‘G’lobalization: In what way do neoliberal economic policies and/or the discourse of ‘G’lobalization shape the events portrayed in this film? What market rules and institutions are most relevant here, and what role do they play?

4) Alter-globalization: Which people and/or institutions are trying to change the rules of globalization in the film? What do they do, and for what reason? Are they successful? In what way should these efforts be understood, or not, as part of alter-globalization struggles?

5) Form: Identify and explain one aspect of the film’s style or form that interested you (e.g. music, cinematography, etc.). This may be something used throughout the film, or something specific to a particular scene. Explain what function you think this aesthetic choice was supposed to serve, either stylistically or politically, and whether or not you found it to be successful.

Note: For each film, there are multiple ways to answer each question. You should not try to be exhaustive. For example, for Question 3, you do not need to identify every possible example of neoliberal rules in the film. Rather, you should pick a few key examples that you believe are most helpful for addressing that question and, most importantly, explain your reasoning clearly and concretely.

C) Submission instructions: This assignment is due on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at midnight. You will submit your work through Turnitin. Rather than uploading your own document, you will enter your answers directly into the assignment online . Further details to be announced.

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D) Assessment criteria: Each question is worth 25 points. This is not a standard essay format. You do not need an introduction or conclusion to each section, or transitions between sections. However, your writing should be clear, organized and concise. All arguments should be explained coherently and persuasively, and they must be backed up with concrete examples. Be sure to answer all parts of each question and pay attention to both the minimum and maximum word requirements for each.

FILM DESCRIPTIONS

American Factory. Higher Ground Productions, 2019, United States, directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert. Available on Netflix.

This is a 2019 American documentary film about a Chinese company Fuyao, which takes over a shuttered General Motors factory in Moraine, a city near Dayton, Ohio. In what could be considered an example of outsourcing by China to the United States, the film focuses on the cultural and economic alliances and clashes between the factory’s Chinese managers, US supervisors, and both the company’s Chinese and American workers. The film had its festival premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. It is distributed by Netflix and is the first film produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground Productions. It won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.