AFRO3654: African Cinema

This course introduces you to films written and directed by African filmmakers beginning the 2nd part of the 20th Century. Through an exploration of the stylistic and thematic issues raised by each film, it is expected that students will gain a broad understanding of how African filmmakers portray African social and cultural life, including the artistic and political contexts within which they work. In this way, students will gain an historical perspective on the origins of African filmmaking, confront the basic social, cultural and aesthetic questions raised by African filmmakers and critics, and consider how questions raised by African filmmakers and their films fit into the larger context of world cinema. We will contrast postcolonial African films with Hollywood jungle epics, settler/adventure romances in safari paradise, and colonial movies about Africa. Moving beyond strict categories and standards we will also examine the role of documentary films in shaping our understanding of African people's lives and the social construction of reality. We will review the place of documentary film in the current media-scape and discuss its functions and limitations. Most films will be screened in original languages with English subtitles.

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