In this course, we will read and discuss theories of science fiction. We will study how theoretical discussions and fictional narratives reflect our ideas of utopia/dystopia, human/nonhuman, ecological disasters, social problems and hierarchies, and the consequences of scientific and technological development.
This course is an introduction to the critical study of film in the context of American culture and society. We will examine Hollywood cinema as an industry and a cultural institution. From the perspective of film studies and cultural studies, we will learn to identify and analyze the narrative, visual style, social background, political influence, and cultural significance of Hollywood films.
This course will study the following issues: How have historians used memory to write history? How have historians devalued memory to differentiate it from history? What kinds of sources can we use to write history? Who is excluded in this writing of history? To answer these questions, this course will consider the close relationship between historiography and the medium of film. Students will consider how the narrative and visual elements of film have been used to represent or reenact historical events in the context of fiction and non-fiction films. We will question the boundaries between truth and fiction in supposedly “objective” historical accounts. We will also explore the role of testimony and nostalgia in the writing of history, and ways to incorporate marginal voices in order to fill in the “gaps” in official archives. Above all, we will examine how the cinematic medium engages in, and contributes to, the continuing task of writing, revising, and re-envisioning history.
This course provides an introduction to the critical study of television and popular media, as well as their impact on the formation of our social and cultural identities. From the perspective of cultural studies, we will learn to identify, analyze, and understand the complex relationship between media broadcasting, social structures, and cultural practices. This course encourages students to consider media forms and content in stimulating and challenging ways, to engage with complex ideas and arguments, and to develop and refine critical thinking. The goal of this course is to help students become a critical thinker, that is, a critically alert user & consumer of media, and to understand how media functions within a social, political, and economic context.
This course aims to examine the close relationship between technology and visual culture, with an emphasis on film and digital media. We will begin with a survey of media technology and visual culture, and then move on to explore technological innovations throughout film history. We will also learn how digital media have affected image-making techniques and screen cultures.
This course will explore the meaning and definition of the non-fiction narrative. To do so, we will question the distinction between fiction and non-fiction modes of telling stories. We will study key historical moments and theoretical debates surrounding the documentary form in cinema. Students will learn to analyze common features and conventions of documentary films, including voiceover narration, archival material, and reenactment. This course offers an opportunity to consider the mode of non-fiction in stimulating and challenging ways, to engage with complex ideas and arguments, and to develop and refine critical thinking and writing skills.
This course will explore the history and form of animation. “Animation” is a term that describes a variety of practices in which the illusion of motion is created through incremental movement of lines and forms. Animation has visualized and captivated our imagination as an art form and as a popular form of entertainment. In this class we will study the historical context of animation films and techniques, and examine animation styles of well-known animators and animation studios.
When is a cinema “national”? What does it mean for films have a national identity? How can we situate cinema within national boundaries in increasingly global environments and infrastructures? Is a nation (and its cinema) defined by its geography, its history, its people, its culture? This course will address these questions in the framework of cultural studies and film studies. We will also consider how to reformulate these questions in a transnational context. In this course, we will look at contemporary films from various Asian countries (e.g., Korea, Japan, China) as well as Hollywood, and study how they move and interact in an increasingly globalized environment.