Chenyang Zhang | Searching for Accessibility and Inclusivity: An Archaeology of Film Cataloging Infrastructures from Cards to Databases

This research critically examines the historical shift in film cataloging infrastructures1 from analog to digital within film heritage institutions (FHIs). Despite often being viewed as “repetitive” and “tedious,” cataloging forms the foundation of archiving as it creates access points into the collections and enables physical and intellectual control over them. The fact that digital media are harder to retrieve without proper registration makes cataloging even more crucial today. Confronting the increasingly extensive and diverse cinematic materials and metadata, FHIs have long grappled with standardizing and adapting their cataloging systems amid evolving media culture. Meanwhile, the recent trend in decolonizing archives3 urges FHIs to enhance catalog inclusivity. To develop a critical reflection on these challenges and the role of cataloging infrastructures in shaping global film heritage, a review of the forgotten history of film cataloging is urgently needed.

Femke van Bruggen | Greenhouse effect, band-aid or carbon budget? Analyzing the role of metaphors as communicative tools in shaping discourses of climate science, technology and the future.

Global warming, caused by humans through the emission of greenhouse gases, is one of the major issues of our time (Jackson, n.d.). Its associated consequences are experienced by people all over the globe and disrupt the lives of billions (Hardy, 2003). While climate scepticism remains among some groups (Hornsey & Lewandowsky, 2022), scientific evidence and changing environmental conditions contribute to a growing awareness that action should be taken to prevent further damage to the earth.  This awareness has led to attempts to develop (controversial) technological interventions to keep temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times.

Ruth Mei Ulina Malau | Understanding the relationship between social media use and identity performances of the minority youth in Indonesia

How do the minority youth consume social media? What are the effects social media use on the social interactions of the minority youth in Indonesia? How do the minority youth in Indonesia express and negotiate their identities on social media? These are the research questions addressed in the project. Despite the fact that young people are among the most active users of online media, their experiences are often marginalized in academic discussions of the internet within the discipline of communication (Livingstone, 2003, cited in Redden and Way, 2016). This study seeks to address this gap by focusing on the experiences of minority youth in Indonesia, particularly those who are considered minorities based on their ethnicity, gender, and religion. Through the application of virtual ethnography, this research aims to enhance understanding of the convergence of social media and the physical world, with a particular focus on concepts drawn from media and cultural studies.

Fabian Schlott | Algorithmic Mediation in the Digital Creative Economy

Traditional cultural economics research has primarily focused on the economic aspects of art markets and museums, neglecting the burgeoning platform economy’s impact on cultural consumption and dissemination. The rise of User-Generated Content platforms, which serve as intermediaries between numerous producers and users, introduces new dynamics in platform competition and consumer engagement through automated algorithms that streamline transaction costs. These platforms employ recommender, search, and ranking systems to cater to diverse user preferences, encouraging longer and more frequent interactions. However, the opaque nature of these algorithms raises concerns about potential biases and inequalities, as they are not subject to external audits or transparency.

Helena Baard | Afrikaans Film in Flux: Investigating the Deconstruction of Apartheid Ideology in Contemporary Afrikaans Films

How do contemporary Afrikaans films, rooted in biographical and historic source material, interrogate apartheid ideology to deconstruct the cultural hegemony of traditional Afrikaner culture and its reproduction within contemporary Afrikaner culture? I do a film analysis of six recent Afrikaans films made in South Africa, namely Vir die Voëls (2016), Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story (2018), Kanarie (2018), Moffie (2019) Poppie Nongena (2019), and Toorbos (2021). The history of South African cinema is closely tied to the country’s socio-political past. South Africa was an apartheid state from 1948 till 1994, which meant that it had legalised racial segregation.