Lumière × MYA

2 Dezember 2024

On the 2nd of December, the evening before the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, MYA and Lumière organized another movie night and panel discussion in collaboration with UnliMited. The movie on the menu was ‘A different man’, a surreal psychological thriller exploring several themes regarding disability or living with a condition and identity. The panel consisted of several experts on the topic, namely Dr. Gemma van Ruitenbeek (Director of the Centre of Expertise for Inclusive Organisations at FPN), Jeanette Hadaschik (PhD-candidate at FPN and staff member of UnliMited), Tink Schiffmann (disability studies expert and student member of UnliMited), and Sigrid Péters (UM’s disability officer at the SSC). Thanks to the wonderful panel, we had a rich discussion on several themes surrounding disability, including ableism, inclusive workplaces, how societies can become more inclusive, and working and studying with a condition. The room was filled with an interested audience, making the evening very worthwhile and a great opportunity to put the spotlight on disability and UM’s own network for improving inclusivity regarding disabilities, UnliMited.

7 October 2024

The documentary “Oeconomia” researches the link between money creation, debt, and inequality. It puts the question of how money creation works on the table. And shows in the process that some of the leading economists and financial professionals have difficulty explaining it. In its short introductory comments after the film, the panelists (Anne Kervers, Dr. Christoph Rausch, and Prof. dr. Mark Sanders) agreed that the current system of money creation is problematic, because it is inhibiting our response to the climate crisis, it is inherently unstable, and benefits mostly the wealthiest. A lively exchange with our audience ensued: What alternatives do we have for the current system of money creation? How should we measure growth? Why is money creation such an complex subject? The panelists offered their views which range from using the existing architecture to serve a wider public to demanding a more democratic organization of money creation.

6 May 2024

On Monday evening 6 May 2024, the fourth and final MYA x Lumière movie night of the academic year took place. We screened Eternal You, a documentary about Artificial Intelligence (AI), grief, and the promise of ‘digital immortality’. In the documentary, grieving people ‘talk’ to loved ones who passed away via chatbots created with generative AI (so-called 'thanabots'). Furthermore, the documentary makers follow CEOs of start-ups that try to bring the dead back to life, for instance by creating avatars of the deceased with AI. The movie was followed by an interesting panel discussion led by Dr. Katleen Gabriels (MYA member and Associate Professor of Philosophy). Our guests were Dr. Ellen Dreezens, Psychologist (expert in loss and mourning), artist, and teacher at University College Tilburg, Dr. Kris Goffin, Postdoctoral researcher in philosophy of cognitive science (including AI) at Maastricht University, and Prof. Sally Wyatt, Full Professor of Digital Cultures at Maastricht University.

23 October 2023

In collaboration with IHLIA LGBT Heritage, Vasiliki Belia (PhD candidate)  

A documentary about the history of comics by and about LGBTQ people in the USA. It focuses on the career and lives of five pioneers of queer comics, Alison Bechdel, Howard Cruse, Mary Wings, Rupert Kinnard and Jennifer Camper, and it’s built around interviews with them and shorter vignettes of younger LGBTQ comics artists who reflect on the older artists’ work and the influence it has had on them. The film gives us glimpses of the broader historical context in which these artists came of age and shows the interaction of this context with the work they created, how the comics represented LGBTQ lives and struggles and the role they played in strengthening the LGBTQ community’s resilience and emancipation. 

The film followed a panel discussion with Christin Höne, Assistant Professor in Literary Studies, Sara De Vuyst, Assistant Professor of Contemporary Visual Culture, and Vasiliki Belia, PhD candidate in the project “Redrawing feminism: graphic narrative engagements with the feminist past” and a Q&A session with members of the audience, chaired by Lotte Lemmens, Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology. Some of the themes addressed in this lively conversation were: comics as a space of freedom for artistic experimentation and for self-definition, the connections between the history of comics and that of LGBTQ activism, intergenerational solidarity and the importance of knowing the history of social movements. 

22 May 2023

Panelists:  

• Dr Andreea Nastase, Assistant professor in Public Policy at FASOS 
• Dr Marina Serrat Romani, Assistant professor in the department of tax law at the Faculty of Law 
• Dr Esperanza Buitrago Diaz, Senior researcher at the Maastricht Centre for Taxation.

This documentary on capital flight and tax evasion is a crystal-clear, educational, humorous and shocking plea about the favourite sport of the super-rich. The screening was followed by an interactive panel discussion. Taking the audience’s questions and remarks into consideration the event ended with further exchange and drinks at Lumière’s bar. 

27 February 2023

Panelists: 

• Dr Olga Van Oost, director of FARO and museologist at Vrije Universiteit Brussel 
• MFA Juan Pablo Pacheco Bejarano, artist, writer, and guest professor at the Royal Academy of Arts at The Hague 
• Dr Louis van den Hengel, Assistant Professor of Gender Studies at UM 
• Prof Dr Emilie Sitzia, Special Chair at the University of Amsterdam (Word and Image) and Associate Professor of Cultural Education at Maastricht University. 

The screening was very well attended and attracted a broad and diverse audience. The film was a thought-provoking documentary following the team of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, reflecting on the struggles of historical and cultural institutions to strive for more diversity. 

After the film, a panel discussion took place. Among other questions, we discussed the notion of 'artistic quality' and whether it is a social and ethical category rather than an aesthetic one, the role of the public in driving this debate, and the idea of meritocracy. The audience also asked several questions, and as always, discussions were further continued at the bar around a drink.  

7 November 2022

Panelists: 

Experts in cultural analysis of science and media, philosophy of technology, digital society and AI. 

• Dr Flora Lysen 
• Dr Philip Nickel 
• Tara Miranovic 
• Prof Mark Winands 

The film is a witty tragicomedy about artificial intelligence, happiness, and relationships. Funny and thought-provoking, the event was well-received, and the night was a success with around 120 tickets sold. The screening was followed by a panel discussion. We addressed questions like what it means to be human, the reciprocity of humans learning from machines and vice versa, whether we are happy when our desires are fulfilled, and how realistic such an AI may be. The discussions continued at the Lumière bar. 

16 May 2022

Panelists: 

• Prof Wiebe Bijker 
• Dr Clemens Driessen 
• Prof Sjaan Nederkoorn 

Progress in science requires funding, and funding always comes with political interests. How to Kill a Cloud is a story about the tension between advancing the real-world impacts of science and the political and ethical challenges posed by trying to get results. Our panel discussion explored questions like power interests and their effects on science funding, the pressure to deliver concrete, positive results vs the objective to create ‘good science’ and more broadly the life and struggles of research life. 

21 February 2022

Panelists: 

• Dr Sarah Stutterheim 
• Dr Inken Gast 
• Monique Lundh 

The movie provided a searing look at the life of a powerful executive’s assistant who grows increasingly aware of the abusive cycle from employers that threatens every aspect of her position. The movie portrayed an example of how a person trying to do the right thing, while also trying to succeed professionally, can become complicit. The panel discussion that followed stressed the importance of healthy relationships between colleagues and managers for one’s well-being. Through audience engagement, it was highlighted that structural support in policy and law and the need for confidential advisors play a pivotal role in achieving well-being in the workplace. 

30 November 2021

Panelists: 

• Lisa Brüggen 
• Dr. Leo Köhler 
• Prof. Dr. Pamela Habibovic 

The documentary provides an insightful and emotive narrative of the experiences of women scientists in their fields of work. The film drew on the experiences of the older generation of women in STEM, who advocated for the equality of representation, pay and working space for women in science, where these factors were better for their male colleagues at the time. Although these measurable aspects have somewhat changed in some contexts, contemporary women in science, and particularly women of colour, are still subjected to hardships - from unwanted sexual attention and harassment to subliminal exclusion and unsolicited critique.  

The screening of the documentary was followed by a panel discussion with Lauren Wagner as the moderator, where the personal experiences of the speakers about the film were shared and ways forward for women in science were discussed. The overarching narrative of the documentary and the panel discussion pointed toward making the sciences increasingly intersectional and equitable for greater inclusion of the next generations of (women) scientists. Food for thought was left with all the attendees of the event.  

Watch a video with insights here.  

1 November 2021

The film showcased the migration story of a fleeing family from Afghanistan. For four years, filmmakers Hassan Fazili and Fatima Hossaini and their two young daughters were living in uncertainty as they tried to get asylum in Europe while documenting their eventful journey with only three smartphones. The documentary gives a first-person viewpoint on the danger, anxiety, and solitude the family experienced during their journey as challenges faced by many in the same difficult circumstances. Yet, it also shows their hope, strength, and ability to remain positive given their situation. The screening was followed by an insightful panel discussion about refugee and asylum conditions and the complicated government actions, institutions, and the pivotal role they play in migration. Taking the audience’s questions and remarks into consideration the event ended with further exchange and drinks at Lumière’s bar.