course description
Description taken from Semester at Sea literature:
SEMS 102: Cinema and National Identity, Semester at Sea (3 credits)
This course explores the ways in which cinema exposes varied and complex ideas of national identity for several countries on our itinerary. Our work, therefore, centers on two goals. One is to better understand what is meant by "national identity;" why it is important; how it is understood, shaped and challenged; and why we should care. The other is to develop an ability to assess films made outside the Hollywood trandition and to enhance our understanding of how filmmaking relates to politics in the countries of our voyage. Throughout the semester we will discuss the influences, aesthetics and political motivation of key international filmmakers, with special attention to the work of five well-known directors over the course of the voyage: one each from Brazil, South Africa, India, China and Japan. We'll pay particular attention to how the works of these filmmakers differ from mainstream American "Hollywood" films and why. Methods of evaluation include a midterm and final exam (15% each); in class writing assignments (10%), reading quizzes (10%), screening reflections (20%), a field journal (20%) and class participation (10%).
SEMS 102: Cinema and National Identity, Semester at Sea (3 credits)
This course explores the ways in which cinema exposes varied and complex ideas of national identity for several countries on our itinerary. Our work, therefore, centers on two goals. One is to better understand what is meant by "national identity;" why it is important; how it is understood, shaped and challenged; and why we should care. The other is to develop an ability to assess films made outside the Hollywood trandition and to enhance our understanding of how filmmaking relates to politics in the countries of our voyage. Throughout the semester we will discuss the influences, aesthetics and political motivation of key international filmmakers, with special attention to the work of five well-known directors over the course of the voyage: one each from Brazil, South Africa, India, China and Japan. We'll pay particular attention to how the works of these filmmakers differ from mainstream American "Hollywood" films and why. Methods of evaluation include a midterm and final exam (15% each); in class writing assignments (10%), reading quizzes (10%), screening reflections (20%), a field journal (20%) and class participation (10%).
