Contemporary Latin American Cinema
With world-wide cross-over presence not only in English-language art house films shown at prestigious festivals, but also in big-budget Hollywood blockbusters shown in multiplexes, increasing attention is being paid to Latin American film workers. Moving beyond the del Toros and Lubezkis, in this course we will explore current trends in contemporary Latin American cinema. In our (subtitled) viewings of these Portuguese- and Spanish-language independent and industrial films, we will sound out issues including, but not limited to, language; nationalism(s); politics of Latin Americanism; production, distribution, and exhibition strategies; National Cinema; representation of class, gender, race, and sexuality; and stardom. This course will be conducted in English. The B section of this course will be held for students who will complete the written course work in Spanish, see instructor for approval. Students in the B section will receive low-300 level credit in the Spanish department for this course.