Professor David Peimer
Perspective and Audience Empathy: Portrayals of World War II in Film
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Summary
We live in an era of fake news, manufactured facts and headlines. That makes it vital to explore questions about how to show the war in film. It’s all about perspective and where audience empathy lies. Do we portray the viewpoint of “both sides”? Or focus on the journey of an ordinary soldier, the generals, political leaders, the horrifically murdered, resistance fighters, the survivors? What about the huge battles, or famous commando raids? From whose perspective do we tell human stories of these great events, (whether fictional or factual with poetic licence)? We will look at a range of films as we delve into these questions, so relevant today.
Professor David Peimer
David Peimer is a Professor of Literature, Film and Theatre in the UK. He has worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, New York University (Global Division) and was a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University. Born in South Africa, David has won numerous awards for playwriting and directing. He has most recently directed Dame Janet Suzman in his own play, Joanna’s Story, at London Jewish Book Week. He has published numerous books, including Armed Response: Plays from South Africa and the digital book Theatre in the Camps. He is on the board of the Pinter Centre (London), and has been involved with the Mandela Foundation, Vaclav Havel Foundation and directed a range of plays at Mr Havel’s Prague theatre.