Socially Responsible Approaches to Media Bohuslav Blažek CZECH REPUBLIC info at ecoterra.cz Even in democracy, there are many reasons why and many ways how to be responsible in our approach to media. This course - Spring 2004 - has been concentrated on the invisible influence of contemporary myth. Myth is such mode of perception which lacks a reflection of percieving. In the world of myth we are convinced that we just see things as they are. Since Renaissance, a dominating myth has been very soficisticated in its ability to present itself as the very objectivity, what has beeen, at the same time, presented as freedom of any myth. This is a paradoxical essence of the myth of objectivity. His instruments have been: optical devices, distant observation without any participation of the observer, measurement, perspective painting, technical registration by the impersonal media as photography or film... Without any mention about the primacy of European and American civilisation, their dominance has been enthroned and nurtured by this myth. As a way of participation at this impersonal myth, anybody accepting this way of perception has been - in fact, only seemingly - allowed to see the world through the eyes of his own civilisation, nation, family or even himself. This precondition - „to see things as they are“ - has beeen strong enough to control any deep local and personal specificity. One method how to liberate ourselves from the bonds of this myth is to confront the perception of different individuals, ages, families, professions, ethnic units, states or civilisations. Do we really see the same? If not, let us state it in a public way and let us discuss the implicit assumptions of our personal experiences. This is the method we have used in our small net of students, coming from different countries of the world to Prague Cinema Studies, held at the Film Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts. Every student was asked by the lecturer, Czech social ecologist MgA Mgr Bohuslav Blažek, to make some shots of strange phenomena in Prague streets and then to state in words the reasons why she/he finds them strange. We present the fruits of our short course here not as a final product but, on the contrary, as an opening of a long lasting process. After our return back home, we will try to find some support in the countries we come from in order to start up a dialogue, based on the mutual exchange of percepts and concepts. This game is open to everyone. The rules are simple: (i) Add some your interpretations to the pictures presented here (ii) Make some observations of strange phenomena in your own country and ask the other participants of this web-site for their interpretation (iii) Ask friends coming to your country from the abroad to make shots of strange phenomena in your own country and to add their commentary Anybody is invited, on the condition that she/he will give at disposal to the other ones her/his name, e-mail address and the name of a native country. View the Project Website concept by Bohuslav Blažek, design by Nicole Wines, and maintaince by Jan Šipek and Bohuslav Blažek as part of FAMU's Cinema Studies course "Socially Responsible Approaches to Media" taught by Bohuslav Blažek. All portrait photos were taken by Jan Šipek (klokanek at eldar.cz)