The history and legacy of three avant-garde filmmakers will be the focus of this course. In the 1960s, such films were known as "underground" films because of their refusal of Hollywood conventions of finish, clarity, and realism, but also because of their content, which often represented "unconventional" sexualities and identities for the period. More recently, this work has been described as the emergence of a queer cinema tradition. As we consider how these films vary in aesthetics and production strategies from classical Hollywood cinema, we will address such issues as the politics of avant-gardism and commercial culture, "high" vs. "low" art, as well as censorship and artistic freedom. One important issue we will continually engage is the strategy of appropriating materials and techniques from one domain (for instance, mass or popular culture) for use in "avant-garde" or experimental production. Throughout the course, we will analyze the formal differences (i.e., use and manipulation of space, time, style, structure, etc.) between each filmmaker and consider the relations, if any, between formal experimentation and social transgression. Student presentations and research papers will provide the opportunity to analyze the influence of these filmmakers on other visual artists or areas of visual and popular culture (i.e., art cinema, fashion, pornography, advertising, etc.). Film screenings will be scheduled as a lab. Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: two short papers, oral presentation, and one final research paper. Prerequisites: ArtH 101-102 or English 204. Enrollment limit: 25. Open to graduate students.

Hour: CHAVOYA