Film openings both credit all the film “makers” and set the tone for what will follow. Unlike the cover of a book, they immerse the viewer in a multi-sensory experience designed to engage and prepare. Explored as palimpsests, these opening titles will be examined as examples of paratexts, as well as entry points into the films they introduce and the cultures they reflect. Screenings and theoretical readings by authors such as bell hooks and Derrida will guide the class discussions. With a focus on filmmakers from French-speaking countries, screenings will include films by Claire Denis, Max Ophüls, Euzhan Palcy, and Agnès Varda, among others. Weekly viewings required. Course conducted in English. No knowledge of French necessary.
Learning Outcomes:
- Gain knowledge of films and film histories in French-speaking countries
- Consider how film openings deal with issues of gender, race, ethnicity, language, socio-economic class
- Understand their political dimension, in relation to colonization and decolonization
- Engage with film theory
- Discuss aesthetic choices
- Develop analytical and critical skills
- Develop their own understanding and apply it to a project developed in conversation with their peers and instructor
Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Corequisites: Weekly required screening
Course Level: 2000-level
Credits: 2
W 4:10PM - 6:00PM & Th 3:40PM - 5:30PM (1st seven weeks)
Maximum Enrollment: 20
Course Frequency: Every 2-3 years
Categories: 2000 , All courses , Cultural Studies and Languages , Film and Video , First Seven Week , Fully In-Person , Two Credit
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