Art, Borders and Democracy: The Cinema of Agnieszka Holland and the Politics of Citizenship
22nd May 2-8pm, Kings College London, Strand Campus, Bush House (South-East) 2.11
This transdisciplinary symposium at King’s College London, in partnership with the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, takes Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border (2023) as a point of departure to examine broader questions raised by the work of the acclaimed auteur.
It explores how so-called “universal” human themes are mobilised, debated, and instrumentalised within political and policy arenas; how art connects to activism; and how images, affects, and narratives translate into public understanding and political action.
Centring migration and borders within the context of democracy, the symposium creates space for critical discussion on art’s role in social and political transformation. It interrogates tensions within humanitarian storytelling, including who is made visible and who is erased, and foregrounds gender, care, and the ethical stakes of representation in contemporary societies.
The event will feature a presentation and launch of the book The Cinema of Agnieszka Holland: Anger and Ethics by Agnieszka Piotrowska.
Read the programme in full here.
PROGRAMME
Friday, 22 May
(Venue: Bush House (South-East) 2.11, King’s College London)
14:00 – 14:10
Welcome
Krzysztof Krakowski (Political Economy, King’s College London)
Belén Vidal (Film Studies, King’s College London)
14:10 – 14:25
Introductory remarks
Agnieszka Piotrowska: Breaking the Boundaries: The Cinema of Agnieszka Holland
(with selected clips)
14:30 – 15:30
Session 1
Images in Circulation: Migration Between Film, Media, and Activism
Chair: Hera Lorandos (Film Studies, King’s College London)
Participants:
Lily Parrott
Laith Elzubaidi
Ornella Mutoni
Meetra Qutb
Eylem Atakav
15:30 – 15:45
Coffee break
15:45 – 16:45
Session 2
Research perspectives from political science on art and migration
Chair: Krzysztof Krakowski
Participants:
Joanna Clifton-Sprigg
Lorenzo Piccoli
16:45 – 17:00
Coffee break
17:00 – 18:00
Session 3
Performance and artistic contributions from Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk
Chair: Agnieszka Piotrowska
Participants:
Anka Leśniak
Filip Ignatowicz
Piotr Wyrzykowski
18:00 – 18:15
Coffee break
18:15 – 19:15
In Conversation
Agnieszka Holland in discussion with Agnieszka Piotrowska
19:15 – 20:00
Reception and Book Launch
The Cinema of Agnieszka Holland: Anger and Ethics
If you want to see Green Border, a screening will be held on:
Thursday, 21 May at 18:00 (Venue: Strand Building S-2.08, King’s College London)
Screening of Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border
More details:
Register FREE via Eventrbrite:
The Cinema of Agnieszka Holland and the Politics of Citizenship Tickets, Multiple dates | Eventbrite
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