Happy Idul Fitri!
On May 19, Thursday, 9-11am PST, we will have a Slow (Spooky?) Seminar on Pontianak, the female vampire/ghost/monster in Malay cultures, as well as her conceptual kins throughout Southeast Asia, such as the famous Nang Nak in Thailand. We will use selected chapters of Rosalind Galt’s new book, Alluring Monsters: the Pontianak and Cinemas of Decolonization, as our point of departure & shared reference:
-Introduction [optional, provides some background if you have never heard of Pontianak]
-Ch.2 “Troubling Gender with the Pontianak”
-Ch.4 “Who Owns the Kampung? Heritage, History, and Postcolonial Space”
-Ch.5 only the “Point of View in the Forest” section, p.224-228
-Ch.2 “Troubling Gender with the Pontianak”
-Ch.4 “Who Owns the Kampung? Heritage, History, and Postcolonial Space”
-Ch.5 only the “Point of View in the Forest” section, p.224-228
We see this event as a continuation of our discussion on feminist and gender theories in Southeast Asian studies from last year. Pontianak serves as a guiding figure for us to consider gender relations, aesthetics, ethnic politics, urbanization, environmental change, and secularism in and beyond Southeast Asia. If time allows, participants are encouraged to pick and watch a related movie on their own and bring it to the discussion. Personal ghost stories are also welcome!
Please fill out this form to RSVP. Feel free to circulate the attached flyer and invite your friends and colleagues. This is our last slow seminar for this academic year and we hope to see you there.
