Between Freedom and Refusal. Dropping Out in Cinema

Serious Topics

What does resistance mean when it is not loud, organized or political in the classical sense? As part of the “Film & Politics” Ciné-Conférence series, this evening is dedicated to the quiet forms of resistance: withdrawal, opting out and refusal. Using selected film excerpts, we encounter characters who evade social expectations and seek their own path. Between the search for freedom and disorientation, self-determination and social boundaries, cinema shows that resistance can take many forms – from conscious refusal to a quiet no. The event invites participants to take a fresh look at resistance and reflect on individual freedom, social responsibility and personal scope for action. Both the content of the films and their cinematic means of expression will be examined. Participants will discover examples from film history that address opting out and refusal. They will receive ideas for using film scenes in the classroom, analyzing them together and promoting their learners’ media literacy. At the same time, the conference encourages reflection on democratic and civic education. Because perhaps freedom does not lie in opting out of the world, but in the way we encounter it.