Hello, Cinema Studies Community. As the Cinema Studies team was working night and day to prepare a fall schedule that will keep us safe and healthy on campus amidst a pandemic, a new but sadly familiar crisis shook the world. George Floyd’s death is an important reminder that, for members of our Black community, no day is truly “safe.” As resistance movements march in the streets, we must all carefully revisit the ways in which white power and privilege shape our lives and end others. As a non-Black woman of color, I stand in solidarity with the Black community by listening, learning, and taking action.
For me, right now, that means doing my part to lead Cinema Studies with kindness and care. Like you, I am tired. I am overwhelmed. I find it hard to focus. But with the Cinema Studies team at my side, I am putting one foot in front of the other and taking each day as it comes. For me, that sometimes means curling up in a ball and staring at the wall. (And that’s OK.) I have been lying awake at night, wishing I had better words—any words—to help you all at this moment. But I don’t. So rather than write something of my own, I will share a few pieces of writing by colleagues that have been helpful to me at this moment.
One thing keeping me going right now, is you. We are all rooting for you! And so, as we work to make things better in the midst of everything that is wrong in the world, I encourage you to celebrate whatever you can, to look to the future. Tomorrow, our new Cinema Studies instructor, Jerell Rosales will be joining me for the CINE coffee break; please join us so you can get to know him and hear about his plans for teaching screenwriting this summer, as well as Intro to Narrative Production and CINE Careers this fall. This Saturday—June 6th at 6pm—the University Film Organization will host its annual film festival via youtube livestream. I hope you can be there to celebrate the work of our community and vote for the Audience Award. And for those of you graduating, we have a special celebration planned. If you haven’t already, please sign up to receive your special CINE care package and more.
In the meantime, please keep your head up.
In solidarity,
professor ovalle.
