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:
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.
