Think About What You See: Understanding the Visual Culture Around You

Course Description

How much time did you spend watching videos today? Think of your social media: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, or YouTube and streaming platforms like Netflix…the list goes on. Now ask yourself how often do you actually think about what you’re watching? What do you remember after watching something? Why? This is what it means to think critically about the visual culture you consume every day. How could this awareness translate to your everyday actions?

Film is often not considered a conventional way of learning, but you learn each time you watch something. It is a medium that offers access to different perspectives. We will learn to think carefully about the vacuum of visual culture that pulls us in new directions every day by watching and discussing a variety of films in a group dynamic. This will include all kinds of films: long, short; absurd; provoking; informative; artistic; and all revolutionary. It will include films you likely haven’t seen (or imagined!) before.

Here are some of the broader topics we will cover to help you think differently about what you typically see:
-The very basics of film studies (what you need to know to talk about what you see with others),
-Indigenous, Métis and Inuit visual culture,
-Performance art,
-The human epoch (human crisis, geology, and anthropology),
-National identity.

By the end of the week, you will have the tools to think about what you see! Amongst other things, this skill set will allow you to bridge the gap between engaging film segments and the quick, instant gratification we crave from social media.


Note: we will spend some time discussing sensitive topics, such as systemic settler colonialism. Students will need to be present for the first day to gain basic skills on discussing this kind of subject matter collaboratively and critically analyzing films.