https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/R_IMVEIn this course, we explore what the practice of looking at film entails for the comprehension of knowledge productions in different disciplines. We examine and compare multiple practices of visual knowledge productions between different fields of study (e.g., law, anthropology, and theology), taking documentary film as our point of departure. We ask questions such as: while watching a documentary film, what is it exactly that you are looking at? What makes us convinced or carried away by a visual story? How do we make sense of what we hear or see? In the course, we examine in detail the multiple ways in which documentary films craft and substantiate their claims to truths through audiovisual means. And we ask what happens when filmmakers deliberately break these disciplinary rules. In so doing, the course objectives center on the cultivation of audiovisual literacy and critical reflection on how we consume and interpret documentary film in our professional and personal lives.During the course, we watch and analyze (together and individually) multiple genres of audiovisual storytelling around one current societal issue and compare the different representational practices. In this way, we will recognize the different motivations, aesthetics, and functions of visual evidence inside and outside academia. Concretely, we will zoom in on the representations of current global migration in artistic documentary, essay film, reportage, virtual reality, and audiovisual evidence in court.Interactive lectures; film screenings; and group discussion.Short papers comparing different genres and their respective claims to truth and knowledge.see course manual as will be published on canvas.Apart from regular students, the course is also available for: Students from other universities/faculties Contractor (students who pay for one course).The course is part of the minor ‘Visual Evidence’. The course is mandatory for students who follow the minor. The course is open for everyone.Not requiredCanvas is the main communication platform of the course.