Cities as Ill Bodies in Films and Series: Call for Papers

Cities as Ill Bodies in Films and Series

Anne Wagner

Associate Professor 

EIC of the International Journal for the Semiotics of Law

Co-Editor of the Series “Law, Language and Communication”

City is a living organism. It is built around a centre – the heart - that provides wealth, prosperity and work to citizens (i.e. the business centre). Transportation arteries are constructed to cut traffic congestion and to facilitate the link between dormitory rings and the business centre. City is like a living monster. It needs expansion, exposure, recognition, security and regeneration. City suffers. Congestion is far too important and the lack of security is the core issue for the Town Hall and its inhabitants. The most urgent matter concerns the close link between the regeneration of cities and their environment in order to maintain peace, comfort, discretion and visibility for all. City is an ill body with signs and symptoms that need to be treated and cured to restore its utility value to its inhabitants. The overall aim of a City is to guarantee simultaneously and paradoxically a high level of individual freedom and an order in which such freedom is made possible and guaranteed.

The intersections of Films/Series and Law represent a significant and prospective research. This edited volume will seek to explore the perception of cities in Films and Series worldwide. It will encourage a plurality of approaches for the understanding and practice of justice, morality and protection of citizens. Contributors may choose to explore semiotic, rhetorical, pragmatic, sociolinguistic, legal, psychological, philosophical and/or visual perspectives on Cities as ill bodies. 

This edited volume could explore (but is not limited to) the richly complex manifestations of Cities as ill bodies in the following ways:

- What is an ill city? (State disorder, lawless cities, rebellion, revenge, etc.)

- How is provided the atmosphere in “ill cities”?

- How are power structures and citizens represented? 

- What are the aesthetic and visual processes?

- How is organized the screenplay?

- How is captured the ideas of “peace”, “security”, “comfort”, “visibility”, “discretion” and/or “regeneration” in Films and Series?

- How does law try to regulate “cities as ill bodies”?

- What are the investigated related approaches to deal with violence, rights, justice, morality, sovereignty, or any other relevant field?

Submission information:

Email submission to Anne Wagner (valwagnerfr@yahoo.com)

Abstracts of 300 words (max.) can be submitted by 28 February 2018 to Anne Wagner with decisions made by March 2018. 

Full papers of 25 000 words (max) will have to be sent by September 2018 with final decisions by November 2018.