ANTH 225(F) Visible Culture: Documentary and Nonfiction (Same as English 303)*
This course examines the potential of moving images to reveal aspects of culture normally obscured by the written word. We will consider both the theory and practice of documentary film from its inception around 1900 to the present, paying particular attention to the way documentary filmmakers have approached the representation of social reality in Western and non-Western cultural settings. Questions that we will consider include: What is the relationship between written text and image, or between image and story? What is the role of film in anthropology? What counts as a document?
Team-taught, through a mixture of lectures and discussions. Course requirement: Regular attendance at film screenings and active class participation. Students will write a 5-page paper on an assigned topic and a 12- to 15-page final paper. There will be a self-scheduled take-home final.
Enrollment limit: 30 (expected: 30). Preference given to Anthropology/Sociology majors, then to sophomores, and finally to first-year students.
Hour: D. EDWARDS