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Is film star Daniel Craig therapy? Maybe so says a new media research network

Monday 11 May 2009

The nation’s newest media research network Media and the Inner World, will see academics, psychoanalysts, psychotherapists and media practitioners gather for the second time for its latest symposium, The Emotional Work of Cinema from 11am-1pm at The Everyman Cinema in Hampstead on the 9 May 2009.

Jointly run by the University of East London (UEL) and Roehampton University and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the event is the second activity in a two year research project and aims to explore the contemporary focus on emotionality and therapy in popular culture and the media.

Joint Director of the network, Dr Candida Yates, Senior Lecturer in Psychosocial Studies at UEL said: “This event will focus on the emotional impact of moments on screen such as the sight of Daniel Craig emerging from the water in Casino Royale, which attracted extensive media coverage overlaid with the language of lust and desire. Likewise, the now well quoted ‘bunny boiler’ scene from Fatal Attraction has become associated with fear and madness.

“Most people know that film can send strong emotional images that make cinema a powerful way of reaching the public. This symposium will ask questions about the therapeutic possibilities of movies, such as how do films make us think about our own emotional lives?"

Media experts on the day include Margaret Matheson, founder of Bard Entertainments and producer of many films, including Vampire Diary, which was voted Best Film at the Milan International Film Festival, in 2008. Other experts include Nicola Diamond, UEL academic and psychotherapist working at The Women’s Therapy Centre; and Claire Pajaczkowska, academic and film-maker from the Royal College of Arts.

To book tickets email miwevents@googlemail.com or for more information on the research network visit www.miwnet.org.

Ends

UEL Press office contact: 0208 223 6239 or 07595 056245.

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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