Author: James M Steffen PhD

James Steffen joined the Woodruff Library in 2005 as the Film and Media Studies Librarian. He is also the subject liaison for the ILA/IDS program, Theater, Dance, and LGBT Studies. A film historian by training, he earned a doctorate at the Graduate Institute of Liberal Arts in 2005. His dissertation was on the filmmaker Sergei Parajanov and the politics of nationality and aesthetics in the Soviet Union. Work on the dissertation entailed archival research and interviews in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, and Georgia. His research languages include Russian, Ukrainian, French, and Georgian. James's other areas of interest include information literacy and media literacy pedagogy.

Sir Run Run Shaw and Wuxia films

Posted onFebruary 3, 2014February 11, 2014AuthorJames M Steffen PhD

The recent passing Sir Run Run (Renren) Shaw (1907-2014) was noted in major media outlets such as the New York Times, as befits someone who made a major contribution to global film culture during his extraordinarily long life. Run Run Shaw was born in China to a merchant family, one of six brothers. In 1925, Read More …

Roberto Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman on DVD

Posted onDecember 11, 2013December 11, 2013AuthorJames M Steffen PhD

James Steffen, Film and Media Studies Librarian Posted December 11, 2013 The Criterion Collection’s recent release entitled 3 Films by Roberto Rossellini Starring Ingrid Bergman revisits a fascinating and under-explored chapter in film history with new transfers of Stromboli (1950), Europe ’51 (1952) and Journey to Italy (1954). At the time, Ingrid Bergman was Read More …