Incorporating Decolonial Aesthetic in Introductory Digital Film Production

The primary focus of Decolonial methodologies are to disrupt colonial structures of power. Filmmaking, particularly ethnographic and documentary practices embody colonial practices. White supremacy and representations of “the other” depicted in films have long tangled our value systems, ideas of beauty and even the way we see ourselves and our communities. In this presentation, I discuss the application of decolonial pedagogies and aesthetics which expand upon ideas of visual sovereignty in my a first-year digital film production course at California College of the Arts (CCA). Pedagogical development of this course stems from a partnership of the internal bodies: The First Year Curriculum Taskforce whose aim is to re-envision foundational art education and, The Decolonial School whose focus is to decolonize the entire curriculum of California College of the Arts. Students learn strategies to decolonize digital film practices, including the incorporation of technical skills resulting in narratives outside of the colonial aesthetic. Culminating projects are student-led and incorporate equity-based tools exploring alternative histories and countering implicit bias.