Curated by Maryam Gharavi and Zeynep Gursel

Artists in Person

These documentaries explore the forces that initiate change in communities, and the critical role of entertainment in shaping collective identity. Step Show: Portrait of a Black Fraternity reveals "stepping" as a historically moored talent some African American students cultivate alongside more traditional academic pursuits. Band captures the humor and pathos of the underdogs of middle-class American suburbia: the high school team band. W.A.T.T.S.:We Are Taught to Survive gains unmitigated access to the peace treaty signed by rival gangs in South Central L.A. and the ongoing struggles for a peaceful community. Switch on Bhutan points to the diverse implications of media as it tracks the entry of TV and the Internet in Bhutan, the last frontier of global entertainment networks.

All works were made as thesis projects in the UCB Graduate School of Journalism. Curators: Maryam Gharavi is an undergraduate student in English and film studies. Zeynep Gursel is a graduate student in cultural anthropology with an emphasis in media and collective identities. With thanks to Jennifer Paige for her guidance, and to Jon Else and Kean Sakata.