Olivier Morel is professor in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre and a concurrent faculty member of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. He has been a Kellogg Institute faculty fellow since 2026.
A filmmaker and scholar of cultural resistance, Morel’s work focuses on global democracy, social justice, and active resistance to autocracy. His research and films examine how creative mediums – including cinema, literature, and photography – are utilized by individuals and social movements to challenge authoritarian power structures and reshape historical narratives.
Morel's projects highlight these global democratic struggles. His film Mustapha (2025) explores the transnational student movements of the late 1960s and their resistance to autocratic rule. Additionally, his award-winning feature documentary On the Bridge (2011) investigates the systemic human costs of conflict and the crucial need for democratic accountability by capturing the testimonies of Iraq War veterans.
He holds a PhD from the University of Paris 8 and advanced degrees in social sciences and political philosophy from the University of Provence.