Short video assignment for Nov. 28 cancelled. If you would like to use video
in your documentary, please see http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~hans320/dv.html
If you would like training in using the digital editing software, please contact
me.
Papers due November 26 at 3 p.m. to your directory on the class web site.
Revision for first essay (optional) due November 30.
Directories will be set up in the projects directory of the class web site.
The following names will be used, unless you have objections: lacarafe, beerbike,
2am, and soular.
Today's class: Documenting the
Holocaust
Activity 1: Brainstorming:
Think about the documentaries (audio, literary, web, film) that we have
looked at so far in the semester. What do you think some of their aims
are?
What functions do you think the Holocaust Museum tries to fulfill?
Do you think there are any similarities between the aims of the Holocaust
Museum and the aims of documentarians? Do you think that curators and
documentarians face similar problems in representing an event or person?
Activity 2: Documentary Space(?)
Please divide into groups of 3-4, examine the following web sites, and
consider the questions that follow. After about 15 minutes, you'll report
out to the larger group.
How would you describe the architecture of the museum? What does
it say about the Holocaust?
What aims do you think the architect had in designing the museum?
Judging from the web site (and from your actual experience of the
Houston Holocaust museum), how successful is the design (and implementation)?
Do you think that a museum qualifies as a documentary space? What
about a museum exhibit?
How would you describe the experience of being inside the Houston
Holocaust museum?
Activity 3: Thinking about Maus
What panel, page, or section of Maus do you find most effective? Why?
Jot down your thoughts.
As a class, we'll examine selections from the CD-ROM version of Maus,
looking at the issues that Art Speigelman confronted in putting together
Maus. Compare and contrast the print and electronic Maus.
Does Maus qualify as a documentary?
Activity 4: The Hidden History of the Kovno Ghetto exhibit at the United
States Holocaust Museum
Working in your small group, browse the following web site: http://wlc.ushmm.org/kovno/
You need not visit every page--just try to get a sense of the site.
Discuss the following questions:
What is this web site trying to accomplish? How?
How is the site organized? Is this organization effective?
What are the site's themes?
What different forms of media are presented in this site? How are
they presented? Do you think they are presented effectvely?
What do you think is the most powerful part of the site? The least?
Activity 5: View and discuss excerpt from Resnais' Night and Fog.
