Latin America's Contested Pasts in Telenovelas and TV Series. A Cross-Sector Dialogue between Academia, Entertainment and Society

GUMELAB, together with our cooperation partners from the German Historical Institute, will host the international, inter- and transdisciplinary conference “Latin America's Contested Pasts in Telenovelas and TV Series. A Cross-Sector Dialogue between Academia, Entertainment and Society”.

The depiction of the past is a sensitive topic, affecting different areas of society. Telenovelas and television series dealing with Latin America's contemporary history can convey memory images and political values beyond national borders. The conference will provide a space for discussion and interaction on multiple levels between academics, television industry personnel, civil society organizations and television audiences. The discussion will be centered on the challenges and possibilities of conveying contemporary history in television series and methods for analyzing the creation, impact, and dissemination of these cultural products. There will be two roundtable discussions, followed by a presentation of GUMELAB's research findings and knowledge exchange among guests through a structured conversation process (World Café method) to discuss strategic issues of teaching history in entertainment media. Participants will include guests and collaborators from Colombia, Brazil, Germany, Chile, and the United States.

As kick-off event, the Goethe Institute invites to an interdisciplinary discussion about and film screening of the German-Chilean television series Dignity on September 7.