Covering the Other: A Course in Cross-Cultural and Community-based Film WNY309

Instructor: Musa Syeed

The objective of this course will be to send informed filmmakers into the field to produce short, intimate documentaries about New York City's diverse underrepresented communities. Students will be equipped with not only technical skills, but also with a background in the responsibilities of community-based filmmaking to create films that will contribute to cross-cultural dialogue at large.

In the classroom, students will be introduced to the issues surrounding cross-cultural filmmaking, through discussions on ethics, research, responsibilities to subjects, and representation. Class discussions will be supplemented by films and articles by anthropologists, filmmakers, and film critics. Students will learn practical research and communication skills to negotiate access and build relationships with subjects, through in-class role-playing and discussions with former documentary subjects.

The main focus of the course will be in production of students' films in the field. Students will receive technical training in camera operating, sound recording, lighting, and editing. The class will be divided into small crews, and each crew will be assigned to a specific community (Jackson Heights, Brighton Beach, Washington Heights). Individual crews will be responsible for finding subjects to follow over the course of the 12 weeks, to make a short documentary. Every week screenings of rough footage will provide students the opportunity to discuss and critique their classmates' work. Working cinematographers, editors, and directors will serve as guest speakers to contribute to the discussion of student work. The class will culminate with screenings of the completed films.