Description
Book SynopsisIn
Screening Social Justice, award-winning anthropologist Sherry B. Ortner presents an ethnographic study of Brave New Films, a nonprofit film production company that makes documentaries intended to mobilize progressive grassroots activism. Ortner positions the work of the company within a tradition of activist documentary filmmaking and within the larger field of “alternative media” that is committed to challenging the mainstream media and telling the truth about the world today. The company’s films cover a range of social justice issues, with particular focus on the hidden workings of capitalism, racism, and right-wing extremism. Beyond the films themselves, Brave New Films is also famous for its creative distribution strategies. All of the films are available for free on YouTube. Central to the intention of promoting political activism, the films circulate through networks of other activist and social justice organizations and are shown almost entirely in li
Trade Review"[A] fascinating ethnographic study of a nonprofit production company. . . . Ortner provides extensive research on the history of activist documentary filmmaking. The book’s compelling exploration of the documentary
Suppressed: The Fight To Vote reveals how it evokes various emotions during a film screening and examines its call to action. Ortner’s deep dive is so effective in describing the film’s storytelling method that it may inspire readers to seek out Suppressed and other Brave New Films works." -- Anjelica Rufus-Barnes * Library Journal *
"Ortner’s analysis encourages readers to critically assess media accounts and consider the ethical implications of documentary activity. Focusing on bold new films, the book offers valuable insight into the production process, the challenges faced by activist filmmakers, and the strategies they use to effectively convey their message." -- Kaniphnath Malhari Kudale * Social Identities *
Table of ContentsPreface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
1. Brave New Films in the Mediascape 19
2. Critical Agency: The Power of Truth 31
3. Networked Agency: The Power of the Social 52
4. Affective Agency: The Power of the Film 73
5. The Impact Question, and Conclusions 97
Notes 113
Filmography 121
References 127
Index
