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Description
The principal aim of this lecture is to understand better the films of one of America’s greatest film makers by placing his work in the historical context of Jeffersonian democracy. Although Capra’s films were mostly set in his contemporary America the lecture looks at the reasons why that rural idyll, so foreign to the growth of a modern urban country, resonated so powerfully with audiences during the Great Depression. Finally I will be asking whether this spirit of small town America still exists in the post-Trump America of the twenty-first century. More worrying, is Trump’s America basically the latest version of Capra’s America?
Colin Shindler has been lecturing on American and British social and cultural history for over 30 years. He was awarded his PhD at Cambridge University and subsequently lectured on film for their History Faculty between 1998 and 2019 exploring its relationship to modern British and American social and cultural history. He also teaches a variety of adult education courses at Madingley and Higham Hall in Cumbria and has lectured on cruises. Between 1975 and 1999 he pursued a wide-ranging career as a writer and producer in television, radio and film.
Date & Time
Wed, Dec 9, 2026 7:45 pm - 9:45 pm
Venue Details
The Henrician
Victoria AvenueEvesham, Worcestershire WR11 4QH
