GCC Instructor Contributes Scholarly Chapter to Bloomsbury Academic Film Studies Volume
Gogebic Community College is proud to recognize one of its instructors for a recent scholarly publication with Bloomsbury Academic, a leading international academic publisher.
GCC English Instructor, Andrew Burt, contributed a chapter to Critical Perspectives on Dario Argento, an edited anthology published as part of Bloomsbury Academic’s Critical Perspectives on Contemporary Directors series. The volume, edited by Fernando Gabriel Pagnoni Berns, provides an interdisciplinary, English-language examination of the full filmography of influential Italian director Dario Argento, including several of his lesser-known works.
Burt tells us, “My chapter was published in Critical Perspectives on Dario Argento, an anthology that is edited by Fernando Gabriel Pagnoni Berns and published by Bloomsbury Academic as part of their Critical Perspectives on Contemporary Directors series. The interdisciplinary volume is meant to cover and provide an English language discussion of the director's entire filmography, including the lesser known films.
My chapter examines Argento's singular foray into making a film in America, Trauma (1993), focusing on how the film covers the confusion of relationships and the doubtful
resolutions of generational family trauma through narrative choices, dialogue, and
characterization. I examine how problematic power structures within the mental health
profession, including sexism and the reliance on prescribed medical methods, further
reinforces the stigma of mental illness. These issues keep families from finding effective
resolutions, and they must rely on outsiders and other members of the community. The
film reinforces its critical commentary on the difficulties of discussing and overcoming
trauma by stressing the ambiguity surrounding possible outcomes that can help trauma
survivors."
This publication reflects the depth of scholarship and academic engagement brought into the classroom by GCC faculty and underscores the college’s commitment to intellectual inquiry across disciplines. Congratulations, Andrew on your accomplishment!
More information about Critical Perspectives on Dario Argento is available through Bloomsbury Academic.
