Kristina Sedlarević: “The Role of Civil War Films in the Agenda of the United Daughters of the Confederacy”

CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies Presents LEGACIES & LUNCH

Speaker: Kristina Sedlarević

Informed by an ongoing doctoral film studies research project at Goethe University, Germany, Kristina Sedlarevic explores the pivotal role that the Southern women’s organizations played in shaping the memory of the American Civil War in cinema through endorsement and censorship mechanisms. To unravel these intricate mechanisms, she will closely examine films that defined the Civil War genre, such as Gone with the Wind, The Birth of a Nation, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and So Red the Rose. A deep dive into a diverse array of primary sources—including film industry journals, trade papers, and minutes from the organization’s meetings—illuminates how the Daughters of the Confederacy promoted, publicly criticized, or introduced changes in these films in order to influence their reception and align them with their own cause.

Kristina Sedlarević is a PhD candidate in film studies at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. She obtained her BA in art history at the University of Belgrade in Serbia in 2020 and her MA in aesthetics at Goethe University in 2023. Her research interests revolve around the American Civil War memory in Hollywood films and the political iconology of historical monuments.

Register for Webinar

Legacies & Lunch is a hybrid program—offering participants the opportunity to attend either in person or virtually via Zoom. To participate in person, join us at – NEW LOCATION – UA Little Rock Downtown (333 President Clinton Ave). Parking is available in the surface lot or the CALS Parking Deck which you can access from Rock Street. Parking will be validated. Bring your lunch; we will provide drinks and cookies. To participate virtually, register for the webinar using the button above.

This program will be live-streamed to YouTube and the recording will be available immediately following the event.

Legacies & Lunch is a free monthly program of CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies about Arkansas-related topics.

Past Legacies & Lunch Events