David Geary Willingham

Under the direction of Martín Urdiales Shaw, my projected PhD thesis will explore representations of trauma, addiction, recovery, and resilience in contemporary Anglophone cinema, including Ravenous (1999), Auto Focus (2002), Humpday (2009), Shame (2011), Thanks for Sharing (2012), among others. Within the context of a theoretical discussion of trauma, addiction, recovery, and resilience, these films will serve as prisms shedding light on the traumatic triggers of addictions as dysfunctional coping mechanisms (problematic strategies for avoiding social conflicts or intolerable cognitions) with attention to the ways in which cultural contexts and belief systems affect the acquisition and expression of addictions as well as the attainment of reprieve and resilience.