Historically, celluloid film stock – the first medium of cinema – was made from a range of plant and animal materials like cotton, animal hide and tree bark. While scholars have recently turned to the processing of these agricultural “elements of cinema” in Europe and North America, much less known are the supply chains that grew, reared and transported them to celluloid-producing countries. Tracing their global movements will dramatically change how we understand the cartography of cinema and its entanglements with the living world. New tools such as generative AI can aid in such historical supply chain research, but also present their own ethical dilemmas.
Expert on the topic, Dr. Marek Jancovic, takes you on a tour through history while you enjoy a free lunch.