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Academic Year 2002/2003


Middle East on Film
CHUM 329 FA

Crosslistings:
HIST 183

The most influential Western cultural medium for the peoples of the Middle East has been cinema. Western film has shaped how Middle Easterners view their own world and has been the most important lens through which Middle Easterners have interpreted for themselves the often-mysterious Occident. Film has also worked in the other direction, with Hollywood representing and misrepresenting the realities of the region to generations of movie-goers. This course will start off with a review of how the West has told the history of the region through such blockbusters as "Lawrence of Arabia", "Exodus", and "Battle of Algiers". It will then turn to film production in the region itself with examples produced by Israeli, Palestinian, Turkish, Egyptian, Syrian, and Iranian filmmakers. Through the study of the latter, students will be asked to explore the question of whether a global culture of cinema has emerged or whether film in the region speaks with an "indigenous voice". Can a global medium be incorporated without a global message?

MAJOR READINGS

In addition to films:
Walter Armbrust, MASS MEDIATIONS
Jack Shaheen, REEL BAD ARABS
Yosefa Loshitsky, IDENTITY POLITICS ON THE ISRAELI SCREEN

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

A short paper each week.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Students are required to attend all screenings of the films.

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS HIST    Grading Mode: Student Option   

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Masters,Bruce A.   
Times: ...W... 07:00PM-09:50PM; .....F. 01:00PM-02:00PM;     Location: PAC125
Reserved Seats:    (Total Limit: 15)
SR. major: 3   Jr. major: 2
SR. non-major: 2   Jr. non-major: 3   SO: 5   FR: X

Special Attributes:
Curricular Renewal:    Reading Non-Verbal Texts, Writing
Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-18-2003


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