Film Week: Adam Curtis Documentary 'Shifty' (2025)

 ‘It is a rare purely UK-focused dissection of recent history, built around the idea that the growing atomisation of society has ushered in an age in which the concept of a shared reality on which we can all depend has dissolved – and with it any hope of a functioning democracy. Come on in, guys, the water’s lovely! Though we can’t even agree that it’s wet any more.’ (Lucy Mangan, 'Shifty', Guardian, 14/01/2025.)

 

Seminar Readings:

Please watch ‘Shifty’ – BBC documentary series by Adam Curtis, episode 1-6, available on BBC 4.

Seminar/Possible Essay Questions:

What does Curtis understand by the ‘atomisation’ of British society since the 1980s?

What is Curtis’ line of argument? What is your own position vis-à-vis his line of argument, based on your knowledge from previous sessions?

Which aspect(s) did you find most interesting in the documentary and why?