Films were a major cultural phenomenon during World War II, and each belligerent nation encouraged the production of propaganda films during the war. As a result, hundreds of propaganda films were produced. In this series, each film will be shown in its entirety, and there will be a discussion of its history and significance.
Lecture:
1. "Mrs. Miniver," (1942): A moving drama about a middle-class English family learning to cope with war, told in a series of dramatic vignettes.
2. "Mission to Moscow," (1943): Ambassador Joseph Davies is sent by FDR to Russia to learn about the Soviet system and returns to America as an advocate of Stalinism.
3. "Casablanca," (1942): A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.
4. "Kolberg" (1945): One of the last films of the Third Reich, it was intended as a Nazi propaganda piece to bolster the will of the German population to resist the Allies.
Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.