Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences · Political Science and International Relations (English) · Undergraduate
Course Objective
This course examines film and aims to analyze it as an extension of politics and a medium of political engagement.
Course Content
Concentrating on the second half of the twentieth century, we will discuss the fictions and the realities of various historical events (e.g., Hiroshima, Cold War, Red Scare, decolonization, mass emigration, fall of communism, terrorism) as they were represented in the mainstream, the avant-garde and the documentary film. We will ask to what extent these representations served as propaganda, a form of protest and resistance, or an attempt to formulate political alternatives, and what political influence they were able to generate.
Required Resources
Barsam, R., & Monahan, D. (2015). Looking at movies. WW Norton & Company.
Course Learning Outcomes
- Have advanced level of fundamental conceptual knowledge so as to consider its reflections in practice.
- Develop an understanding of main teories on film.
Core Area Distribution
Teaching Methods
Assessment & Evaluation
ECTS / Workload
| Activity | Quantity | Duration (h) | Total Workload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Duration (Including Exam Week) | 16 | 3 | 48 |
| Out of Class Study Period | 16 | 2 | 32 |
| Midterm | 1 | 15 | 15 |
| Quiz | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Assignment | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| Practice | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 20 | 20 |
Course Schedule
| Week | Subject | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to the course | none |
| 2 | Film, Geopolitics, and the End of World War II | book chapter |
| 3 | The Cold War (1): USSR, Ideology, and Suspicion | book chapter |
| 4 | The Cold War (2): USA and the Red Scare | book chapter |
| 5 | Realities of Communism: Communism, Realism, and Censorship | book chapter |
| 6 | Totalitarianism: Imagining Totalitarianism in the West | book chapter |
| 7 | Presentations | none |
| 8 | midterm | midterm |
| 9 | Nuclear Threat: The Cuban Crisis | book chapter |
| 10 | Decolonization (1): The Vietnam War | book chapter |
| 11 | Decolonization (2): The Algerian War | book chapter |
| 12 | The End of the Cold War: Emigration, Nostalgia, and the End of the Cold War | book chapter |
| 13 | Terrorism: Consumerism, Terrorism, and the Everyday Life in the West | book chapter |
| 14 | Presentations | none |
| 15 | final exam | final exam |