Life 24x A Second

"Life 24x a Second: cinema, selfhood, and society is about the life-sustaining and life-affirming power of cinema. As we confront the devastating reality of the Covid-19 pandemic, our obligation to explain the value of all artistic expression and pedagogical practice has surely never been greater. Life 24x a Second: cinema, selfhood, and society adopts multiple perspectives on why films matter, with special attention to hearing the soundtracks that move through our bodies and which we can carry with us into the world at large. Drawing on work by authors across disparate fields of literature, business, psychology, biological science, cinema, autobiographical, and cultural studies, this book makes the case for cinema as a life force on the biggest emotional, personal, and social terms, and in ways that can resonate for any reader. The book zeroes in on films that offer hope in relation to the Black Lives Matter (Imitation of Life (1959) and BlacKkKlansman (2018)), contemporary feminism (Nobody Knows (2004)), teachings of Heartmath (Dancer in the Dark (2000)), realities of grief and mourning that we all face (Life of Pi (2012), Ikiru (1952), and A Star Is Born (2018)), and a most personal experience of loss (Call Me By Your Name (2017) and Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)). Life 24x a Second: cinema, selfhood, and society draws directly upon many pedagogical experiences and students' reflections to show that these films can move us toward the creation of a better world for ourselves and others"--