The Martin Centre Research Seminars - Lent Term Seminar 2

We are delighted to welcome Navid Pourmohammadreza (Assistant Professor in Urban Planing, Tehran / Selected Researcher of Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris and Villa Gillet institute, Lyon ) who will give a talk titled:

'Film as a Medium of and a Medium for Resilience

Tracing three varieties: the everyday, the emotional, and the cultural'

Talk Abstract:

The history of cities is deeply intertwined with disasters. These disasters may be caused by natural forces (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions), human actions (war, terrorism), or a combination of both (fires). Some cities permanently die as a result of such events ("deceased cities"), some endure but bear the lasting scars of their trauma ("wounded cities"), while others heal over time and seek a new future ("healed cities"). Resilience plays a key factor in the survival or demise of cities after a disaster. While significant research in urban studies has explored the resilience of cities, the role of art—particularly cinema—in healing urban wounds has been comparatively overlooked. This presentation considers film as both a means of resilience and for resilience. Through the analysis of three films, it highlights three aspects of resilience that are prerequisites for and essential to the physical reconstruction of cities after disasters: the everyday, the emotional, and the cultural.

Bio:

Navid Pourmohammadreza earned his PhD in Urban Planning from the University of Tehran and is currently a lecturer, writer, and translator in urban studies. He teaches at the University of Art and Soore University. His research focuses on narrative urban studies, the intersection of cities and cinema, and urban resilience. He has authored and presented numerous books and essays in these areas. Over the past three years, Navid has also been researching the Iranian diaspora in Europe, exploring themes of home, sense of place, homesickness, and the challenges of cultural adaptation and integration into host societies. This ongoing research includes findings that were presented last year at the Cité Internationale in Paris.