As part of a special symposium by the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, Joan Kjaer and her WorldCanvass guests explored the topic of "Energy Cultures and the Age of the Anthropocene" on March 3, 2015 at FilmScene in Iowa City. The program was followed by a free screening of the documentary, “The Great Invisible,” about the social and environmental effects of the Deepwater/Horizon/Macondo disaster and oil spill in 2010.

We are now living in the “Anthropocene” (pronounced AN-thruh-puh-seen), the literal definition of which is the “New Age (cene) of Humans (anthropos).” For many people, the notion that we are living in the age of humans might be unremarkably self-evident. But the concept of the Anthropocene challenges us to consider how humans have become the dominant agent of change on Earth. The upcoming Obermann Humanities Symposium at the University of Iowa, March 5-7, “Energy Cultures in the Age of the Anthropocene,” will showcase innovative thinking about how to conceptualize and deal with the large-scale human alterations of environments and ecosystems that have given a new name to the age in which we live.

On February 3, 2015, Joan Kjaer and her WorldCanvass guests discussed the the complicated and controversial issues surrounding the legality and use of tobacco and marijuana with a special focus on the tension between personal liberty and the public good. This is a "ReCap" of the event with access to see and hear the full program.

Host Joan Kjaer and her guests on the next WorldCanvass will explore the age of the Anthropocene through the lens of energy, investigating the global environmental transformation effected by humans’ astonishing technological achievements in the search for greater creature comfort. WorldCanvass begins at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, at FilmScene, 118 East College Street. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Bijou Film Board and FilmScene are partnering on a spring series of foreign film screenings beginning Tuesday. “Movies are often the first experience we have with places in the world that are outside our own upbringing, outside our worldview,” said Leah Vonderheide, executive director of the Bijou Film Board. “And yet, it’s often hard to find international films on local screens — particularly international films from outside Europe.” University of Iowa students who see all five shows will be eligible to win a $1,500 scholarship toward a study abroad opportunity, courtesy of UI International Programs.

STAMP YOUR PASSPORT: This Spring semester, the Bijou Horizons film series hosted at FilmScene takes a cinematic world tour to Chile, Israel, Afghanistan, and Brazil. One lucky UI Student will win a study abroad package provided by UI International Programs! Attend all five Horizons screenings for your chance to win! Free to students, $5 for public.

On January 20, 2015, Joan Kjaer and her WorldCanvass guests kicked off the University of Iowa's first theme semester "Food for Thought" with a discussion on food and its relationship to community, heritage, and identities. This is a "ReCap" of the event with access to see and hear the full program.

The next WorldCanvass will explore the complicated and controversial issues surrounding the legality and use of tobacco and marijuana with a special focus on the tension between personal liberty and the public good. Host Joan Kjaer will moderate the conversation with guests from the fields of dentistry, psychiatry, pharmacy, public health, and law. The February 3 program begins at 5 p.m. at FilmScene and is free and open to the public

The UI’s “Food for Thought” project—its first ever theme semester—offers a platform for engagement on campus and throughout the state around one of life’s constants…food. Join host Joan Kjaer at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 20 at FilmScene in downtown Iowa City as she and her guests discuss the ways in which food affects us as individuals and binds us as members of communities.