Infectious inequalities : epidemics, trust, and social vulnerabilities in cinema / Qijun Han and Daniel R. Curtis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Qijun, Han, 1981- author.

Curtis, Daniel R., author.

Contributor:

Rosengarten Family Fund.

Series:

China perspectives series

China perspectives

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Epidemics in motion pictures.

Motion pictures--History--20th century.

Motion pictures.

Motion pictures--History--21st century.

Motion pictures--Social aspects.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

x, 156 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2022.

Summary:

"This book explores societal vulnerabilities highlighted within cinema and develops an interpretive framework for understanding the depiction of societal responses to epidemic disease outbreaks across cinematic history. Drawing on a large database of twentieth- and twenty-first-century films depicting epidemics, the study looks into issues including trust, distrust, and mistrust; different epidemic experiences down the lines of expertise, gender, and wealth; and the difficulties in visualizing the invisible pathogen on screen. The authors argue that epidemics have long been presented in cinema as forming a point of cohesion for the communities portrayed, as individuals and groups "from below" represented as characters in these films find solidarity in a common enemy comprising of elite institutions and authority figures. Throughout the book, a central question is also posed: "cohesion for whom?", which sheds light on the inequality and contingency of the depicted subjects and embodiment of the characters. This book is a valuable reference for scholars and students of film studies and visual studies as well as academic and general readers interested in topics of films and history, and disease and society"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Understanding epidemics through the cinematic lens

Societal responses to epidemics: immorality and resistance

Suspicious minds: cinematic depiction of distrust during epidemics

Bridging the gap: epidemics, public health workers, and "heroism" in cinematic perspective

From spreaders to sacrifice: cinematic representation of women during epidemics

Between urban depravity and rural backwardness: cinematic depiction of poverty during epidemics

Conclusion: epidemics and cinema in an age of COVID-19

Appendix: filmography of films depicting epidemics.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Includes filmography.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Rosengarten Family Fund.

Other Format:

Online version: Han, Qijun, 1981- Infectious inequalities

ISBN:

9781032199665

1032199660

9781032205205

1032205202

OCLC:

1266643337