Queering Cinema

Catalog description

In this class, we will investigate the complexities of queer and trans identities as represented across a variety of major film genres understood as a form of artistic expression. Content will focus on mainstream narrative fiction films but clips from independent or "alternative" cinema will also be screened and discussed. We will explore how queer and trans stories are told, how they function, and how those stories have evolved based on factors such as historical context and genre conventions. Through a variety of interpretive approaches, including allegorical readings and addressing the differences between implicit and explicit representation, we will seek to gain a greater understanding of how these films lend themselves to unique opportunities for exploring the queer and trans experience.