SPAN 80.25 Picturing the End of Extraction in Latin America
At a time of accelerating ecological devastation, how can images help us envision alternative futures? This capstone seminar explores the role that images play in both exposing urgent questions about extractivism, or the large-scale exploitation of nature as a resource, and pushing viewers to confront its effects in contemporary Latin America. We will consider the multilayered implications of extractive projects—from gold mining in Venezuela to soy monoculture in Argentina—as we analyze media including film, photography, and visual art. Paying special attention to the ways in which these objects suggest possibilities for life outside the politics of extraction, students will expand their understanding of how the study of media provides new perspectives on Latin America. Whether pushing for the legal rights of nature, centering Indigenous sovereignty, or shedding light on the role of women as community activists, the media we will study offer images of resistance and change in threatened territories.
Instructor
Broner