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Home , Cinema of Iran, Cinema of Palestine, Cinema of Russia, Nadine Labaki

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS FALL 2019 MRTS 4415: CINEMA BEYOND THE WEST Monday 11-1:50pm, RTFP Room 264 Instructor: Tania Khalaf Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Monday 3:50-4:30PM, or by appointment, Office - Room 272C Teaching Assistant: Lia McChane Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Monday 1:50pm - 2:30pm

Course Overview

The course is designed to explore the various forms and styles of contemporary . International storytelling is discussed in terms of style, approach, and cultural context. The objective of the class is to familiarize students with the different ideologies of foreign narratives that explore diverse subject matter, issues, and conflicts. The historical development of cinema is examined in specific countries while considering its political and social influences up through present day. The emphasis during class sessions will be on screenings and analytical discussions. Students are also expected to research areas of interest outside of class.

Course Objectives:

1. To examine the history, theory and aesthetics of a range of international . 2. To understand the films cultural and historical contexts and their impact on audiences. 3. To examine the similarities and differences between the cinema of various countries. 4. To get acquainted with diverse cinematic and directorial styles.

Special Note:

We will be discussing various issues concerning gender, race and politics. If you feel you will have any problems participating in such discussions, I seriously suggest you reevaluate choosing this course.

Reading:

Chaudhuri, Shohini. CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA: , THE MIDDLE EAST, EAST ASIA AND SOUTH ASIA. Edinburgh University Press, 2005

Nichols, Bill. ENGAGING CINEMA. W. W. Norton & Company, 2010.

Materials distributed in class or placed on Canvas become part of the required readings.

Attendance Policy:

Since this class only meets once a week, one session is the equivalent of 2 normal class meetings. For each unexcused absence beyond one, three points will be deducted from the final grade. Arriving 15 minutes after the scheduled starting time for the class will be considered a late arrival. Two late arrivals will result in one absence. Do not leave after the break; we will be taking attendance after the break as well.

For each day, a paper is turned in late; 4 points will be deducted from the grade. Students not attending the first day of class will be dropped to make room for other students who are present and want to enroll in this class. If you decide to drop this class during the semester, make sure you look at the university’s policies regarding specific deadlines.

Assignments:

1. Three response papers covering films screened in class.

2. One take home midterm examination covering the screenings, readings and lectures from August 26.

3. One take home final examination covering your group’s presentation and screening.

Details for those assignments will follow in a separate handout.

Grade Breakdown:

Participation 10% Response Papers 15% Midterm Paper 25% Presentation 25% Final Paper 25%

NOTE: “The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at http://www.unt.edu/oda. You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323.”

The schedule for screenings, lectures and due dates is subject to revision

Week 1 (August 26)

Introduction to the course

Screening: Amreeka by Cherien Dabis

Week 2 (September 2)

No class – Labor Day

Week 3 (September 9)

Group Presentations Discussion & Outline

Week 4 (September 16)

CINEMA OF Screening: by

Reading:

Contemporary World Cinema: Europe, the Middle East, East Asia and South Asia by Shohini Chaudhuri. • Chapter 4: Iranian Cinema

New Iranian Cinema : Politics, Representation and Identity edited by Richard Tapper • Chapter 1: Introduction – Richard Tapper • Chapter 2: Islamizing Culture in Iran A Post Khatami Update • Chapter 10: Location (Physical Space) and Cultural Identity in Iranian Films - Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa • Chapter 12: Children in Contemporary Iranian Cinema: When we were Children - Hamid Reza Sadr

Week 5 (September 23)

CINEMA OF IRAN Screening: Turtles Can Fly by

Reading: Iranian cinema and philosophy: shooting truth by Erfani Farhang • Chapter 6: Deafening Silence: Bahman Ghobadi's Turtles Can Fly and Marginal Politics

Week 6 (September 30)

CINEMA OF SOUTH KOREA Screening: Madŏ/Mother by Joon-ho Bong

Reading: Contemporary World Cinema by Shohini Chaudhuri • Chapter 5:

Week 7 (October 7)

CINEMA OF SOUTH AFRICA Screening: Skin by Anthony Fabian

Reading: • The Paper Bag Principle – Of the Myth and the Motion of Colorism • Transforming Youth Identities: Interactions Across “Races/Colors/Ethnicities,” Gender, Class, and Sexualities in Johannesburg, South Africa. Brigitte Bagnol, Zethu Matebeni, Anne Simon, Thomas M. Blaser, Sandra Manuel & Laura Moutinho

- Distribution of the Midterm -

Week 8 (October 14)

CINEMA OF Screening: by Hany Abu-Assad

Reading: Transnational Cinemas, Vol. 7, No. 1, (2016) pp. 82–95 • Demythologizing the Palestinian in Hany Abu-Assad’s Omar and Paradise Now. Hania A.M. Nashef • The Palestinian cinematic wedding. Journal of Middle East Women's Studies. Nadia Yaqub.

Week 9 (October 21)

CINEMA OF CHINA/TAIWAN Screening: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by Ang Lee

Reading: • Globalizing the Locality: A Cultural Comparison of Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Erika Junhui Yi.

– Midterm Paper Due at the beginning of class –

Week 10 (October 28)

CINEMA OF SPAIN/MEXICO Screening: Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro

Reading: • A Constant Transit of Finding: as Realization in Pan’s Labyrinth. Roger Clark & Keith McDonald • Pan’s Labyrinth, Fear and the Fairy Tale. Laura Hubner • Narrative Desire and Disobedience in Pan's Labyrinth. Jennifer Orme.

Week 11 (November 4)

CINEMA OF JAPAN Screening: Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki

Reading: • Folklore Motifs in Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. Yoshiko Okuyama. • Japanese Mythology in Film: A Semiotic Approach to Reading Japanese Film and Anime. Yoshiko Okuyama

Week 12 (November 11)

CINEMA OF HONG KONG Screening: In The Mood for Love by Wong Kar-Wai

Reading: Hong Kong Cinema since 1997: The Post-Nostalgic Imagination • Chapter 1: Post Nostalgia: In the Mood for Love and 2046. Vivian P.Y. Lee

Week 13 (November 18)

CINEMA OF Screening: Leviathan by

Reading: • Russia's Post-Soviet Ideological Terrain: Zvyagintsev's Leviathan and Debates on Authority, Agency, and Authenticity. Christy Monet.

Week 14 (November 25)

CINEMA OF Screening: Capernaum by Nadine Labaki

Reading: • Lebanese Cinema: Imgagining the Civil War and Beyond. Lina Khatib • Cinema in Lebanon. Raphael Millet

Week 15 (December 2)

CINEMA OF MOROCCO Screening: Horses of God by Nabil Ayouch

Reading: • Addressing Extremism Through Literature: Mahi Binebine's Horses of God (Les étoiles de Sidi Moumen). Habiba Boumlik & Phyllis van Slyck.

Week 16 (December 9)

Final Paper Due at 10:00am