Over the last years, being aware of importance of images in today’s fragmented, chaotic, but technologically advanced world, Slovenian Third Age University has been intensively dealing with visual literacy.
Therefore, Slovenian Third Age University conceived and organised an international training entitled Deep into visual literacy within the Erasmus+ SPIDW project for the inclusion of older people into the digital world. Its short featured CINAGE project films about active old age (Bojana Žokalj Jesih), documentaries about the issue of refugees and migrants (Marijana, One Last Hug – Samo še en objem) made within the RefugeesIn Erasmus+ project, 18 Summers made by Milojka Babšek, a Slovenian U3A student, were screened and analysed. Step by step, the trainees learned about the power of the cinematographic text and the narrative transformative power of images, as well as collective subconscious representations (Susan Sontag, Roland Barthes, Henri Cartier Bresson) attached to modern urban myths, photos, films and in successful commercials (Slovenia—my Country – Slovenija – moja dežela, Radenska, I love milk – Rad imam mleko). It has been found that authors inevitably make films about themselves, their own values and beliefs and their defence mechanisms (Leni Riffensthal: Triumph der Will). Short films (I’ll wait for another one), documentaries, e.g. from Belgian director Chantal Akerman (La chambre, No home movie) were screened and analysed. In addition, trainees focused on the role of the camera and sound in the movie by Marcel Lozinski (Anything can happen).
The development of documentary films was studied, as well as its genres … (Simona Jerala). Microsociology of everyday life was approached and finally the trainees made their own documentary films in this area simply using their mobile phones. They also learned how to use an editing application. Now, it is time for the participants to incorporate their findings and new knowledge into AE.
Dušana Findeisen (dusanafindeisen1@gmail.com), Slovenian Third Age University
