Overview of Course

This course analyzes films from around the world, examining the relationship between the local, the national, and the global. This course will provide a survey of a series of films from the countries we will be visiting during the Fall 2025 voyage. Each film will serve as a springboard to introduce viewers to the national culture/s of the visited nations. We will look at the relationship between the local and the global with a focus on the spaces of intersection that inform individual and communal identities, the cinematic constructions of national/ international cultural entities, and the alternative approaches to the reading of visual images. Students will develop a basic vocabulary for discussing and writing about cinema, and will be expected to discuss and write about films and culture. Pairs or teams of students will be responsible for presenting a specific national film. The class will be student-centered with an emphasis on careful readings, daily discussions, group work, and presentations. At the end of the term, students will write a research paper related to cinema in ONE of the countries covered in the course.