National Cinema and Culture: Francophone Cinema

This class introduces students to the diverse international cinema of the French-speaking world beyond France. France's empire included parts of Africa, the Caribbean, the Atlantic, and the Pacific and even though may of France's colonies eventually achieved their independence, French language and economic ties have continued to play an important role in the postcolonial period. The course will present a wide array of films by Francophone (French-speaking) filmmakers from Francophone countries, including films by diasporic filmmakers now working in France. We'll watch and discuss work from Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Mali, Haiti, and other countries. And, in addition to thinking deeply about film style and aesthetics, authorship. and histories of cinema beyond the West, we will also consider issues of feminism, gender and sexuality, migration, and the politics of postcoloniality and globalization. All films will be subtitled in English. For more information, contact: Prof. Peter Limbrick: limbrick@ucsc.edu