BEYOND STORY

We have set as the theme of this year’s symposium Against Story in solidarity with other recent (and ongoing) publications and events that critically engage with contemporary documentary cultures in an effort to both broaden and deepen our field and modes of inquiry. Most recently, Alexandra Juhasz and Alisa Lebow’s online, community-based manifesto BEYOND STORY is an important call to arms and we are thrilled that they will be bringing their manifesto to the symposium.

Juhasz and Lebow write: “We offer our manifesto online as one example of an expansion, allowing for your contributions, collaboration, and/or contestation. Add films, old and new, to our growing database: examples of documentaries that go beyond story. Build upon our claims, or if you prefer, refute them in the established writing streams. We hope for our manifesto to create options, thinking, and action.”

We encourage you to discuss, engage with, and participate in their community manifesto project before, during, and after the symposium.