An Amorous Prehistory of Hong Kong Queer Cinema

Depiction of homoerotic relationships among women in commercial costumed films was a unique phenomenon in 1970s - 1980s Hong Kong cinema. What are the possible cinematic meanings of lesbian images that we can perceive in these films? How should we evaluate the exact representation of a sexuality that had been perceived as deviant in that society? In this essay, I close-read homoerotic scenes and trace through the trajectories of cultural and industrial changes enabling the emergence of two representative films: Intimate Confessions of A Chinese Courtesan (1972) and An Amorous Woman of Tang Dynasty (1984). I do this with a continuous concern for historical context in order to provide an in-depth understanding of how lesbian images are constructed in cinema.

Dancing heroines : sexual respectability in the Hindi cinema of the 1990s

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Obesity, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Weight Loss in a Population of Adult Mexican Americans

The study of obesity has evolved into one of the most important public health issues in the United States (U.S.), particularly in Hispanic populations. Mexican Americans, the largest Hispanic ethnic subgroup in the U.S., have been significantly impacted by obesity and related cardiovascular diseases. Mexican Americans living in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (the Valley) in the Texas-Mexico border are one of the most disadvantaged and hard-to-reach minority groups. Demographic factors, socioeconomic status, acculturation, and physical activity behavior have been found to be important predictors of health, although research findings are mixed when establishing predictors of obesity in this population. Furthermore, while obesity has long been linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia; information on the relationships between obesity and these CVD risk factors have been mostly from non-minority population groups. Overall, research has been mixed in establishing the association between obesity and related CVD risk factors in this population calling attention to the need for further research. Nevertheless, identifying predictors of success for weight loss in this population will be important if health disparities are to be addressed. The overall objective of the findings presented in this dissertation was to attain a more informed profile of obesity and CVD risk factors in this population. In particular, we examined predictors of obesity, measures of obesity and association with cardiovascular disease risk factors in a sample of 975 Mexican Americans participating in a health promotion program in the Valley region. Findings suggest acculturation factors to be one of the most important predictors of obesity in this population. Results also point to the need of identifying other possible risk factors for predicting CVD risk. Finally, initial body mass index is an important predictor of weight loss in this population group. Thus, indicating that this population is not only amenable to change, but that improvements in weight loss are feasible. This finding strengthens the relevance of prevention programs such as Beyond Sabor for Mexican populations at risk, in particular, food bank recipients.

Working in a Mexican Classroom: An Autoethnographic Study

This autoethnographical study seeks to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges that are faced by the researcher in adapting to a new cultural and linguistic setting as well as describing the teaching practices that the researcher encounters in a Mexican classroom; data will be collected through the process of reflective journaling as well as the collection of pictures and artifacts.

Screening the RSC stage: the 2014 Live from Stratford-upon-Avon cinema broadcasts

During the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2014 summer season, both parts of Henry IV and The Two Gentlemen of Verona were presented as Live from Stratford-upon-Avon broadcasts in cinemas around the world. This article presents a case study of these broadcasts, drawing on the author's observations and insights as their producer as well as interview contributions from those involved in both the stage and screen presentations. Recognising that the hybrid form of “live cinema” performance has developed rapidly over the past five years but is as-yet little-documented, the study develops an analytical approach to its creative processes and to its aesthetics. This discussion is combined with a consideration of the history of earlier screen adaptations of RSC productions at Stratford-upon-Avon. The article details the stages of the production process for the Live from Stratford-upon-Avon broadcasts in 2014 and considers the ways in which the broadcast teams collaborate with the casts and creative teams of the theatre productions. In addition, the article explores processes of adaptation in the journey from stage to screen, the poetics of multi-camera presentation and questions of “live-ness”, the social experience of viewing performance in the cinema, and possible developments for live theatre on screen.

The Cinema of Raul Ruiz: Impossible Cartographies

This book is the first major academic engagement with the idiosyncratic Chilean-born filmmaker Raul Ruiz. It examines his work from the context of Allende's Chile to France and Europe from the 1970s, examining such themes as aesthetics and politics, simulation, multiplicity and theories of the image

Polish Cinema in a Transnational Context

An edited collection based on the successful conference at Cornerhouse in 2009 on Polish cinema in a transnational context, examining co-productions, exile directors, Polish actors in foreign films and the shifting international recpetion of Polish cinema

Between representation and figuration. Nouvelle Vague’s cinema: a history revision

50 years after the birth of the Nouvelle Vague, the inheritance that the contemporary cinema receives from it is inevitable. Figures and visual motifs; stories, themes, faces or common places; aesthetic and language devices. The echoes appear in various ways, each affiliation involves a different relationship and therefore a dissimilar approximation to its analysis. And yet, both the academy and the film critics maintain their will to think the Nouvelle Vague as a whole, a universe, a stream or an aesthetic trend. However, does a Nouvelle Vague’s aesthetic exist? And if so: why and how to address their historical revision? Taking Deleuze’s thesis on the time-image and Serge Daney’s assertion according to which 50 years after the birth of the Nouvelle Vague, the inheritance that the contemporary cinema receives from it is inevitable. Figures and visual motifs; stories, themes, faces or common places; aesthetic and language devices. The echoes appear in various ways, each affiliation involves a different relationship and therefore a dissimilar approximation to its analysis. And yet, both the academy and the film critics maintain their will to think the Nouvelle Vague as a whole, a universe, a stream or an aesthetic trend. However, does a Nouvelle Vague’s aesthetic exist? And if so: why and how to address their historical revision? Taking Deleuze’s thesis on the time-image and Serge Daney’s assertion according to which

Gender stereotypes: sexuality and contraception in Mexican university students of middle class

Since feminist studies and gender perspective, sexuality and reproduction continue to be a topic of interest in Mexico. The objective of this study was to identify gender stereotypes in sexuality and contraception practices in Mexican university students of middle class. We used a qualitative methodology with in-depth interviews, using as analysis axes the sexual and contraception practices. The results showed gender stereotypes in university students as active, seductive and conquerors, characterized by a double standard of morality in the type of relationship: Formal where love, affection, trust and commitment are present, and Informal, where a love relationship or sexual exclusivity is not incorporated.

Maximilian’s Journeys through Spain and Brazil: The Long Way to the Mexican Empire

In May of 1864, Maximilian of Austria reached the Mexican coast, being this journey his last, ending three years later with his execution. Much has been written about the reasons that prompted his acceptance of the crown of Mexico, a country so distant in every sense of his cultural environment. However, years ago Maximilian had traveled to Spain and Brazil (to Spain twice) and these experiences, although not determinant, greatly influenced the decision of the Archduke, who saw the chance to realize a dream he had conceived on his trip to Spain and that was consolidated during his stay in Brazil, as we can extract from his travel memoirs.

Circular migration and the Internet: The role of social networks in the sociocultural context of Mexican residents in Barcelona

This work focuses on the study of the circular migration between America and Europe, particularly in the discussion about knowledge transfer and the way that social networks reconfigure the form of information distribution among people, that due to labor and academic issues have left their own country. The main purpose of this work is to study the impact of social media use in migration flows between Mexico and Spain, more specifically the use by Mexican migrants who have moved for  multiple years principally for educational purposes and then have returned to their respective locations in Mexico seeking to integrate themselves into the labor market. Our data collection concentrated exclusively on a group created on Facebook by Mexicans who mostly reside in Barcelona, Spain or wish to travel to the city for economic, educational or tourist reasons.  The results of this research show that while social networks are spaces for exchange and integration, there is a clear tendency by this group to "narrow lines" and to look back to their homeland, slowing the process of opening socially in their new context.