CFP: Cinema and the Mother: Motherhood in Contemporary World Cinemas

CALL FOR PAPERS Demeter Press is seeking submissions for an edited collection Cinema and the Mother: Motherhood in Contemporary World Cinemas    Editor: Dr. Asma Sayed   DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS: October 31, 2012!

Mother figure plays an essential role in cinema. Films have, by and large, presented a stereotypical role of a mother wherein she is hailed for her sacrifices and hated for having any personal desires. Representation of motherhood in world cinemas has either been framed within patriarchal norms or within nationalist discourses in which mother figure symbolizes the nation. Patriarchy glorifies motherhood, and cinema as an institution reflecting socio-cultural reality has tended to idealize motherhood; depending on the ethno-cultural paradigms, mother figure is presented either as angelic or demonic, thus prescribing a normative image. While cinema can and does impact the perceptions of its audiences, and thus has the power to make or break stereotypes, rarely have films experimented with the notion of motherhood; the resistant mother, although not unheard of, is a rare character. This collection will provide an analysis of how motherhood has been represented in various filmic traditions. Papers dealing with any cultural tradition are welcome; however, preference may be given to non-Hollywood traditions. Understanding of motherhood both as an individual performance and as an institution has mostly been a post-1980s phenomenon; as such, the collection will focus on contemporary cinema. Topics can also include (but are not limited to): Close textual analysis of a film/films; analysis of depiction of motherhood in a particular filmic tradition - for example, Korean, Iranian, Indian, Greek, British, Canadian, Japanese, Chinese, Brazilian etc.; issues such as mise en scène, genre, cinematography, editing, etc. in light of portrayal of motherhood; angelic mothers, demonic mothers, sacrificial mothers, selfish mothers, resisting mothers, ideal mothers, etc.; cinema as mother; mother as cinema; and nation as mother, mother as nation - in cinema

Submission Guidelines: Abstracts: 300 words. Please include a 50-word biography  (with citizenship information) Deadline for abstracts is October 31, 2012 Please send submissions and inquiries directly to:  Dr. Asma Sayed asayed@ualberta.ca Completed manuscripts not exceeding 20 pages will be due May 2013,  and should conform to MLA guidelines. Acceptance is contingent and will depend upon the strength and fit of the final piece.  Demeter Press 140 Holland St. West, PO 13022 Bradford, ON L3Z 2Y5 Tel: (905) 775-9089 www.demeterpress.org / info@demeterpress.org

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