Conference- 'The National/Nation and Early Cinema'

When, where, how, and to what degree did the international phenomenon of early cinema become "national" or "nationalized"? What conceptions of the "national" in circulation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries became bound up with early cinema--for instance, how was the "national" aligned with (or against) European colonialism, American imperialism, and the phenomenon of oceanic migrations? How did films racialize and gender national differences, for both ideological and commercial purposes? In what ways could specific practices-- from production, distribution, and exhibition to programming, promotion, and reception-- be characterized as "national"? How might certain emerging genres (e.g., westerns, historical films, comedies or comic series, mythologicals) be described as "national"?

Proposals are welcome for standard presentations (20 minutes in length) or for short presentations of research projects. The deadline for submitting either kind of proposal is 21 October 2005 (receiving date). Please send four copies of your proposal to Richard Abel, 8375 Pine Cross Lane, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103 USA. Note: we expect limited funding support will be available for graduate students giving presentations at the conference. For questions, please write to richable@umich.edu.