Instructor: E. Basea
This inter- and cross-disciplinary course addresses a wide range of fields from film theory and aesthetics to cultural studies and history, exploring questions of film style, transnational and cosmopolitan filmmaking practices, national industries and audience reception. We will begin by discussing recent debates in film studies about (trans)national and peripheral cinemas before proceeding to a reading of a few paradigmatic cases of films that are either produced in Greece or deal about Greece. You are encouraged to critically reflect on the introduced approaches in (trans)national, peripheral and cosmopolitan filmmaking, read films filmically (in terms of their narrative and style), locate them in their wider socio-political and economic contexts of production and reception, and suggest other case studies based on your own background and interests. We will approach films from a Cultural Studies perspective. This means that while a film may be entertaining in its own right, we will want to view it also with an eye to what it can tell us about the history of a particular time, place and movement.
No previous knowledge of Modern Greek history is required. This is why the course is addressed to Modern Greek studies students but also to film studies students and all proud cinephiles eager to explore previously ignored cinemas.
All films have English subtitles. There will be an optional 1-credit bilingual section for those students able to read and discuss materials in Greek.
