Shifting the Gaze in Narratives of Disaster Risk Globally [Global Week Film Festival]

Shifting the Gaze in Narratives of Disaster Risk Globally

Co-hosted by the Durham Institute of Hazard Risk and Resilience (IHRR), and Durham Centre for Visual Arts and Culture (CVAC).  

27 February (18:30-21:00)

Location:  Durham University’s World Heritage Site and Performance Hall, Music Department, Palace Green, DH1 3RL

• Register to attend, via the event page, here

Overview

For the past four decades, the way we talk about disasters has been framed in terms of ‘resilience’ and ‘sustainability,’ often labelling affected communities as ‘vulnerable.’ This framing minimises the voices of those who are most impacted and deflects responsibility from those in charge, placing the problem and its potential solution on the individual. In our upcoming film festival, we will explore how stories shape our understanding of disasters and who gets to tell them. A panel of film directors and academics will debate the ethics of these narratives and explore how the gaze in disaster narratives globally could be shifted to make disaster risk reduction strategies more inclusive and impactful.