Diploma thesis "Teen movies and self-reflection of genre." examines if and how the principle of self-reflection of genre is influencing the genre of teen movies and its development. It is based on the theoretical concept from literary theory that sees self-reflection as a means of development and evolution of genre. The research is based on two American teen movies, Princess Diaries and Hunger Games. It employs the use of qualitative research methods, thematic analysis and narrative analysis. Theoretical section of this thesis resumes current sociological concepts of youth and adolescence, the development of American teen movies, the concept of self-reflection as an instrument for development and transformation of genre and ways in which self-reflexion is portrayed or included in cinema. The empirical part constitutes of thematic and narrative analysis of examined films and of comparing found issues with the principle of self-reflection of genre

The master thesis discusses the novel Spas by Ivan Matoušek published in 2001. The description of the structure and narrative time of the novel is followed by a characterization of the ironic self-conscious narrator and his relationship to the fictional world and the main character. The interpretation is partly inspired by a theoretical paper on irony by Vladimir Jankélévitch, which is compared with Paul de Man's concept of irony. The thesis also refers to Linda Hutcheon's theory of self- reflexivity and metafiction and employs the concept of mise en abyme.

This diploma thesis deals with the problems of the self-reflection in the prose of the 20th century. At first there are described the techniques of the narration, which appeared in the 20th century. Then there are defined the general signs of the self-reflection and the influence of social situation on the increase of the self-reflection. In the next section the work involves the analysis of the novel Život a názory blahorodého pana Tristrama Shandyho. The conception of the self-reflection is defined on this piece. In the last part of the work the self-reflection is showed on Czech prose of the 20th century.

The Dissertation titled Documentary Approaches in Contemporary Fine Art Moving Image focuses on the practical and theoretical research of documentary approaches to videos and films in the art field. It notices especially the self-reflexive strategies as a consequence of critical approach towards the medium itself and lack of belief in its ability to mediate reality or truth. Attempts to convey reality by audiovisual means are accompanied by the reflection of the way this happens. The Dissertation also reflects on the uncertain relation between the documentary and truth, which has been described in art by the artist and theoretician Hito Steyerl. The examined artworks were made in the period between the beginning of 21st century, when the documentary turn was reflected intensively, and the present time. The selection of examples was strongly influenced by the local study of Israeli art in The Video Archive of the Center for Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv. Motives of conflict, violence and trauma resonating in studied videos and films influenced further selection and analysis of the authors’ documentary methods from a different context. In the selected works I can see particularly various forms of alienation effects and self-reflexive approaches. Using these procedures the artists highlight the constructedness of the audiovisual work and the way it was produced. Recurring formal principles have been stated. Reenactment of real events, revealing the way the work was produced or the artist’s position in the production process; these strategies indicate the uncertain relationship between the documentary work and reality. In the frame of these tendencies also reevaluation of the observational documentary strategies as something seemingly opposite to self-reflexive strategies is reviewed. Theoretical outcomes are continuously accompanied by author’s own art projects concentrated around the form of documentary portrait and its (de)construction. They experiment with the formal principles analyzed on a theoretical level.