Philosophy and Film

Amita Valmiki

The School of Sanskrit, Philosophy and Indic Studies (SSPIS) at Goa University cordially invites you to the online guest lecture titled "Philosophy and Film" by Dr. Amita Valmiki. Kindly join us on 28 July 2023 (Friday) from 3:00 to 5:00 PM IST at meet.google.com/gfa-isft-jah. 

Abstract
Theorizing and philosophizing about films is not as old as theorizing and philosophizing about other forms of art – say painting, music, dance, theatre, or court-jesting (as was found in the olden times in a monarch’s (king’s) court to entertain, and the jester was considered an artist to entertain the king and the people). It was late 20th century that thought of cinema as a serious ‘Art-Form’; and philosophizing films took a giant leap as films being a magical screen portraying political, economic, social, geographical, and most importantly the aesthetical element (which remains central to film-making) to either entertain or educate or rebel or revolt against the existing system. The role played by cinema has been stupendous from the time of its inception. It is the cultural depiction on the screen that films are influenced by the existing culture; but once produced, it affects the audience’s psyche and brings forth changes in the society as well. The theories of film that philosophize films and place films at par with other forms of art require us to philosophize films not in a ‘so-called’ normal philosophical methodology, but employ the other faculty (of our mind) to theorize it. Films can, in fact, display philosophical concepts more clearly. In fact, if the ‘real’ comes clearly through documentaries, the ‘Real’ comes more precisely through feature films. Films are backed by film theories; to be more precise, film theories are in a better position to analyze films and can offer a reflective avenue to young minds. What does it mean to theorize films? Film theory is completely an academic field where films are generally categorized. The theories try to bring out the essence of film, exploring and investigating the various facets of cinema, to interpret cinema, and to bring out its relevant connection to reality. It also tries to bring forth the Socratic ‘concept’, Platonic ‘idea’ and Aristotelian ‘form’ of cinema.

Bio
Dr. Amita Valmiki is Associate Professor and Head, Department of Philosophy, Ramniranjan Jhunjhunwala College of Arts, Science and Commerce (Autonomous), (Affiliated to University of Mumbai), Ghatkopar (West), Mumbai, India, and Visiting Faculty at Department of Philosophy, University of Mumbai. She was member of Board of Studies in Logic and Philosophy, University of Mumbai. Her Ph.D. thesis was on ‘Man, Religion and Society’ (with special reference to Mysticism). She has presented papers at various conferences, seminars, and colloquiums at national and international levels (more than 12 countries). She has been awarded twice post-doctoral research fellowship and has been visiting faculty at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Theories at Bonn University, Germany. She has published a book titled Mystical Worlds: Social, Spiritual and Secular; co-edited a book titled 100 Years of Indian Cinema: Issues and Challenges in Retrospection, and published 60 articles in various books and in national and international journals. She has co-organized national and international conferences and colloquiums. Her special areas of interest are Ethics, Theistic Existentialism, Philosophy of Religion, Mysticism, Aesthetics and Philosophy of Film.