Korean Film and Literature

Catalog description

Examines representations of history, memory and ethics in South Korean contemporary cinema and modern literature. Explores a variety of film genres such as thriller, action and horror in order to understand the nation's preoccupation with unsatisfying or unhappy endings. Korea, much like our recent experiences within the United States, has gone through a whirlwind of political, societal and historical change within the past few decades. What we previously considered normal and safe is now threatened and disordered. The study of film narratives and themes encourages students to re-evaluate their understanding of identity, narrative and ethics. Equips students to critically engage with film, literature and theoretical texts to produce a personalized and analytical perspective on the current representative culture of South Korea. All texts and films are provided; all films will have English subtitles; and all readings are in English.