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The Ages of the Cinema. Criteria and Models for the Construction of Historical Periods (Udine, March 20-22, 2007): XIV Udine International Film Studies Conference
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The Ages of the Cinema. Criteria and Models for the Construction of Historical Periods (Udine, March 20-22, 2007): XIV Udine International Film Studies Conference
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                                                               UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI UDINE


THE AGES OF THE CINEMA
CRITERIA AND MODELS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION
OF HISTORICAL PERIODS
XIV International Film Studies Conference
Udine, March 20-22, 2007




                                                       The construction of historical periods is
                                              something pervasive especially when one wishes
                                       to give events meaning, to encapsulate the flow of time,
                                                 either in a progressive or regressive direction,
                                                               in a linear or cyclical fashion -
                                          to combine the past and the present within a totality
                                                       that might open itself up onto a future
                                                       whose traits can be eventually forecast.
                                                                                   (K. Pomian)



   Framing historical phenomena means to assign chronological traits. Certain kinds of
chronologies function as the "shared language" of history for populations and scientif
ic circles. This "shared language" of history claims the right to label or come up with
names for historical periods. The external language of historical periods derives from
chronology which, in turn, offers a framework within which to situate historical phe-
nomena. To organize film history according to historical periods helps us to think;
alternatively, we end up studying only the kinds of histories that we are capable of
thinking about. Over the years we have also understood that any kind of film history or
any organization of historical periods, is, first and foremost, a historiographical gesture
which involves philological foundations, documents, and arguments. In contemporary
film studies, the use of decades such as "I920s" or "19305," to organize our knowledge
has been very common. On the other hand, when we look at other chronological or his-
torical, or theoretical, or historiographical levels frequently used in the study of cine-
ma, we must acknowledge that our terminology is fairly incoherent. In certain cases we
prefer a label about visual style (i.e. film noir) instead of a particular period marker. In
short, history is complex and contradictory, hence we must understand that historical
narratives always include that which cannot be said, proved or organized.


Historical Periods in Film Studies and the History of Period-Building in Art History,
Literary History and Film History

   Is it possible to determine shared and/or competing temporal systems across disci-
plines? And what is it that escapes from one discipline to another? Does it make sense
to rely on broad institutional labels such as: classic, modern, post-modern? Should film

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THE AGES OF THE CINEMA


studies come up with new terms? What are the differences among period building
chronology, and classification?

Period-Building/Nation; Period-Building/Ideologies

 According to either religious or revolutionary variables, a nation may desclop an
internal and self-sufficient system of period building. These culturally specific systems
are crucial in order to carry out research through newspapers, biographies etc, and in
order to make decisions about dates. On the other hand, religious criteria for dates may
differ from secular ones. Can we think of interesting overlaps or clashes among the
competing ideologies of a single nation? Can these cases be of interest to film studies?



Period-Building and Film Criticism

   Film criticism has functioned as a catalyst of period building, because the history of
film criticism is based on definitions, selections, value judgements, reflections, celebra.
tions, explanations, connections, and, of course, amnesia, oversight, prejudices and
biases. How has film criticism influenced period building and how period systems have
influenced film criticism?



Period-Building and Film Theories

   Film theories developed around the debate on film as art form or on film as mass
medium have further complicated the issue of period building. Should film history and
film theory be organized around auteurs, genres, and styles with the chronologies that
these labels imply? Or should we rethink all these models in the light of terms such as
school, movement, cine club, tendency, wave, mass culture, visual studies, comparative
arts?



Technologies and Techniques in Relation to Period-Building

  Although the history of cinema is fairly brief, the technological innovations and tech-
nical changes have been frequent. Think of lighter camera equipment, dubbing proce
dures, color processes, sound systems, formats ranging from cinemascope to dolby. In
addition to technological changes at the level of the apparatus and technical solutions
during film-making itself, the conditions of projection, screening, consumption and
marketing have changed over time. In which ways, the histories of film production and
reception have influenced period-building?



Period-Building and Restoration

  New developments in the histories of early cinemas due to archival discoveries and
unprecedented restoration techniques, have changed our period-building approaches.
260
                                                                    THE AGES OF THE CINEMA



In which ways does the restoration of previously unknown films change our historical
narratives about the century of the cinema?

Period-Building and Cultural Typology

  In some cases issues of cultural specificity determine the labels used and the time
spans adopted for film history. There are two major approaches: one is "essentialist®
because it wants to stress the most "essential" qualities of a period; whereas, the second
is "meta linguistic" because it takes into consideration the institutions involved and
looks at historical periods as ever-shifting categories.


Period-Building Modernity/Postmoderntiy

  Specialists of contemporary cinema engage in period-building, even if their histories
are, by definition, open ended. Contemporary cinema operates within a set of pro-
foundly new circumstances, due to economic globalization and digital technologies.
Does it still make sense to talk about postmodern cinema? And what do we mean today
with "modernity" in comparison to previous phases of film studies? Which new labels
may be appropriate to use for the emerging media landscape?


The Temporal Philosophy of the Cinema: Chronosophy

 To interrogate ourselves about period-building in the cinema means to also explore
philosophies of history (Benjamin, Deleuze, Frankfurt School, Agamben, Jameson, etc.).
How does the history of the cinema relate to different conceptions of time? Which
space does cinema occupy in relation to time? How does cinema dialogue with philo
sophical, religious, scientific models of time? What difference do space and movement
make in the encounter of film, time and philosophy?


Deadline for paper proposal: November 6, 2006



For further information and contacts:
Dipartimento di Storia e Tutela dei Beni Culturali
Università degli Studi di Udine
Via Petracco 8
33100 Udine (Italy)
fax: +39/0432/556644 or +39/0432/556789
e-mail: udineconference@gmail.com
         www.damsweb.it/udineconference




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