Abstract

Cinema has imagined the future of human civilization and of the planet itself. Many films have adopted a perspective that is utopian, dystopian, or a combination of each. Jorge Mari, Ph.D. argues in this video that futuristic sci-fi movies are more than simple forms of entertainment, but expressions of the times and societies that made them. If we ask critical questions and go beneath the surface, such films may help us articulate questions about our own present and future.

Jorge “Jordi” Marí is professor of contemporary Spanish cultural studies, environmental humanities, and film at NC State. His books include Tracing the Borders of Spanish Horror Cinema and Television, Ventanas sobre el Atlántico: España-EE.UU. durante el Dpost franquismo, and Lecturas espectaculares: el cine en la novela española desde 1970. In 2019, Marí won the University Outstanding Teacher Award and the Alumni Association Outstanding Teaching Award, and was inducted into the Academy of Outstanding Teachers at NC State. Mari earned his Ph.D. at Cornell University.

TRANSCRIPT