On February 22, 2012, the Department of Film & Media and Multicultural Germany Project co-presented a special screening and discussion of Werner Herzog’s Lessons of Darkness (1992) at the Townsend Center for the Humanities. The event, which marked the twentieth anniversary of Herzog’s film, was also occasioned by the converging course offerings and research interests of several members of the Department. Tony Kaes moderated a roundtable discussion featuring the critical perspectives of Nicholas Baer, Kris Fallon, Deniz Göktürk, Justin Vaccaro, and Linda Williams. Presentations addressed Herzog’s cinematic portrait of the 1991 Kuwaiti oil fires from a variety of angles, and provided the basis for a stimulating and timely discussion on the nexus of aesthetics, politics, and the aftermath of war. Photographs of the event were taken by Marina Romani.
