The goal of this course is to provide students with basic knowledge about Chinese cinema and to help students understand Chinese cinema against a cultural, historical, social, and political background. Framed within the history of Chinese cinema in the twentieth century, this course emphasizes the artistic and political aspects of the movies made by the "Fifth generation" directors in the 1980s and 1990s. This course also introduces students to a critical scheme for cinema discussion: describing the story of a movie, interpreting the movie, evaluating the movie, and theorizing personal opinions about the movie. Requirements: no exams, one short paper (5-7 pages), one longer paper (15 pages), and one presentation (with paper or notes). Participation of class discussions is taken into account. Format: lecture/discussion. No enrollment limit (expected: 15). Preference given to Asian Studies, Chinese and Japanese majors.

Hour: DUAN