World Cinemas

Catalog description

This course is designed to give students an in-depth introduction to the rich and diverse history of film across the world. Through a series of case studies, students engage deeply with a broad range of international filmmakers, movements and styles, focusing on places such as France, Italy, Japan, China, Brazil, Mexico and more. Students explore the ways in which specific film styles and traditions develop in relation to 1) their own social/cultural contexts, 2) the global dominance of Hollywood Cinema and 3) the “transnational” context of an increasingly globalized film marketplace. In the process, students are not only exposed to a wealth of international films and filmmakers — they move beyond the classic pleasure of simply watching movies and develop the tools necessary to analyze films aesthetically, thematically and technically and to reflect critically upon the social meaning and importance of our global film culture.