Abstract

Canvassing a variety of types of value, this article seeks to identify the promise of moving images for fields such as medical humanities, health humanities, critical public health studies and health and culture. The use of moving images for the intended purpose of effecting health outcomes is given priority, the emphasis being on immediate instrumental value. The value in question is seen as offering a neglected reason for claiming public value for moving images. Suggestive examples of interventions relating to authorship, genre, curatorial principles, the dynamics of reception and screens and exhibition spaces are provided, the overall aim being to evoke and clarify the promise that motion pictures hold for human thriving.