What happens when an artist steps out of their own shadow to tell someone else’s story?
Through the lens of film and photography, Peter Decherney casts a light on the otherwise obscured
Jewish communities across Africa. His art challenges the notion that creativity must be
autobiographical, revealing instead the beauty–and controversy–of becoming the vessel for other
peoples’ voices. Peter Decherney is an award-winning fine art photographer, filmmaker, and author. He holds the Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Endowed Term Chair in the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is Professor of Cinema & Media Studies and Director of the Penn Global Documentary Institute. Peter is the author or editor of seven books. He has also written for The New York Times, Forbes, and Inside Higher Ed, among many other publications. His photographs of global Jewish communities have been exhibited in museums, galleries, and universities, and his first book of photography is forthcoming. Peter’s films focus on migration and the political role of artists. He is an award-winning teacher, whose open online course on the history of Hollywood has enrolled more than 80,000 learners. He also holds a secondary appointment at the Annenberg School for Communication and an affiliation with the Penn Law Center for Technology, Innovation, and Competition. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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