Updated class outline for last week

Tuesday Dec. 7th: 
Finish screening of Sin Nombre
Oral Presentation
Discussion of Diaspora and Double Consciousness (this will be the final article assigned for class)
Since there won't be enough time to discuss drafts this day, bring in a summary of your paper and the article you will be using.

Thursday Dec. 9th
Conclusion
Discussion of drafts for final paper

Diaspora and Double Consciousness

For the article "Diaspora and Double Consciousness" you will be splitting in groups to discuss the reading. You will be in the same groups posted on the UB Learns document used for the "Realism and Representation"

Group 1: pgs 46-48 until "...asymmetries of power rather than a global cosmopolitanism"(Kaplan and    Grewal 440)."

Group 2: pgs 48-51 from "There is a parallel and growing consensus that..." to "...the reality of being an intellectual" (15)"

Group 3: pgs 51-53 from "A self-conscious transvaluation of diaspora..." to "...modernity as independent from western modernity?"

Group 4: pgs 53-56 from "There would seem to be every reason" to "...within a hegemonic status quo."

Group 5: pgs 56-59 from "In splitting official narratives..." to "..cultural and postcolonial critique"

Guidelines for Final Paper

The paper should be 5-7 (double-spaced, font size 12-Times New Roman) pages long and it should address the issues covered in the course. You should use at least one of the films screened for the second part of the semester (after the midterm- from Do the Right Thing onwards). However, if you want to include films from the first half of the semester, you may do so, as long as you also include at least one from the second half. It should also be in MLA format (see link provided in related blog post).

For resources, you should use the articles (first or second half of the course- although if you decide to use Cortes, you may want to use other articles for a more critical stance) used for the class unless you find other external resources that fit better with your topic. If this is the case, please send me the citation beforehand just to make sure they are academic, peer-reviewed articles. Again, use MLA format to cite your sources and bibliography.

The topic is up to you, and it should relate to the issues we've covered. Your argument should be supported by formal analysis of the film, not just plot description. You may want to use the narrative sequence guide (posted under the label Guidelines and Supporting Material) to know what elements to look out for when analyzing the film.

If you have problems selecting a topic or focusing it,  send me an email or we can set up an appointment.

Diaspora and Doble Consciousness- Samir Dayal

Diaspora and Double Consciousness

Response assignment- Due 12/2/10

What is the concept of home for Mina in Mississippi Masala? How would you compare it to that of Marjane's in Persepolis? Use Naficy's and/or Rushdie's essay to support your argument. Respond in 2 short paragraphs.

Imaginary Homelands- Salman Rushdie and Emigrants Displaced Twice- Binita Mehta

Imaginary Homelands- Salman Rushdie
binitamehta_mississippiMasala

Link to MLA format guide

"Summary: MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th ed.) and the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page."


*You will be using the MLA format for the final paper.

Discussion Question - Due 11/19/10

Using Naficy's description of exile discourse and liminality, how does Marjane negotiate/consolidate her Iranian roots with the new countries and cultures she is exposed to? Cite specific passages from the article.

Exile Discourse- Hamid Naficy

Exile Discourse- Hamid Naficy

Updates to Syllabus

Tuesday November 16^th

Screen Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Sartrapi’s Persepolis

Oral Presentation

Homework: Read Hamid Naficy. Exile Discourse. 
Response for blog: 1-2 paragraphs.

Thursday November 18

Discuss Naficy

Screen Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala

Homework: Read Binita Mehta’s “Emigrants Displaced Twice: Race, Color and Identity in Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala” and Salman Rushdie’s “Imaginary Homelands”

Tuesday November 23

Finish screening Mississippi Masala

Discuss Mehta and Rushdie

           

Thursday November 25^th – No Class (Fall Recess)

Tuesday November 30^th

Screen Michael Haneke’s Code Inconnu

Homework: Read Samir Dayal’s Diaspora and Double Consciousness

Thursday December 2^nd

Oral Presentation, group 10

Discuss Dayal

Screen Cary Fukunaga’s Sin Nombre

Reading "What is Transnational Cinema?: A General Introduction" by Elizabeth Ezra and Terry Rowden "Migrancy and the Latin American Cinemascape: Towards a Post-National Praxis" by Ann Marie Stock 

Optional: Read Camilla Foja’s “Urban Frontiers; Border Cinema and The Global City” from Border Bandits: Hollywood on the Southern Frontier

Tuesday December 7^th-

Finish screening Sin Nombre

Oral Presentation

Discussion of Sin Nombre

Pair up and discuss drafts of final paper.

Thursday December 9^th-

Conclusion

Continue revising of drafts

Fill out teaching evaluations

Discussion question- Due 11/11/2010

In Reflections on Exile, Edward Said mentions how nationalism and exile cannon exist without reference to each other. What did he mean by this? 

Reflexions on Exile- Edward Said

Said Reflections

Discussion groups now posted on UB learns

Hello everyone,

The discussion groups are now posted in UB learns under "Course Documents." Look at that section of text and make sure you look up concepts and terms you're not familiar with. You can also write a set of questions from the text.

See you Thursday!

Fassbinder and Spectatorship- Judith Mayne

Fassbinder and Spectatorship

Stereotype, Realism and the Struggle Over Representation

Counter-Hegemonic Art- Bell Hooks

Updated syllabus (Check the following dates for changes: Oct. 12-26)

Immigration and Film2

Reading Week 6 (for Thursday's discussion)

gangsofny

Reading Week 5: The Jazz Singer

The Jazz Singer

Assignment Week 4

Respond in a small paragraph to one of the following:

1-Which film(s) do you consider "national" American film(s)? What makes them so? Explain using narrative and formal examples as supporting arguments. 

2-Cortes' articles emphasize the power of images to change public opinion and mold the psyche of American audiences. Williams disregards this point of view and directs our attention towards the economic circumstances and historical events that have shaped the images we see. Where do you stand in this argument?

Week 4: Film and Nationalism Intro- Alan Williams

Intro to Film and Nationalism - Alan Williams

Homework Week 3

Choose one of the following set of questions and elaborate in 3-4 well thought out sentences. Respond by Monday at 11pm so we can discuss it for Tuesday's class.

1-Sembroff Golden and Cortes give us a catalog of the stereotypes Italians have been given throughout history. They point out the disclaimer at the beginning of the film. Does the disclaimer reinforce that stereotype or raise a conversation about representation? Do you think we are presently better prepared to tell the difference between a stereotype and a “true portrayal”? How do news and other print media influence us in forming these stereotypes?

2-In an interview with Francis Ford Coppola, he says of the main character of The Godfather II: “Michael is America.” What do you think he meant by this? 

Oral Presentation Guidelines

You should provide an introduction of the film with a brief historical context (period the film was made and/or period film is reenacting) and particular production information that would shine light on the topic of your presentation.

Formal aspects of the film: Take a look at the Reading a Film Sequence worksheet as a guide for questions you should ask yourself while thinking about the narrative. I don't expect you to analyze carefully a specific film sequence unless it is relevant to your presentation. The worksheet will simply be a guide for thinking about the message the film intends to convey and the techniques used to communicate that message. Interviews with the director, crew or actors of the film could be useful as supporting info.

And finally as part of your argument, you should also research the critical reception of the film, by going over reviews published in newspapers, magazines or websites. The point of this is to examine the discourse used by media to discuss topics presented in the film and how they might influence how audiences think about them. The website www.rottentomatoes.com is a good source for reviews of films.

The point of the presentation is to look closer at the discourses used to talk about the film and the topics presented in it. Context, formal aspects of the film and critical reception should be the defining structure of your project.

The oral presentation will be 30 minutes long for every group. Each member of the group is responsible for presenting 10 minutes of the presentation. As supporting material, you may create handouts for the class, use powerpoint to present your topics or show a short clip of the film if you will be talking about a specific sequence.

Optional Screening of The Godfather II

There will be an optional screening of the Godfather II on Friday at 3 in CFA 232. We will start where we left off Tuesday.

Week 3: Cinematic Asian Representation + The Family Dramas

Cinematic Asian Representation + The Family Dramas

Week 2

From Immigrants to Icons



The Fate of La Famiglia

Narrative Sequence guide

Narrative Sequence

Syllabus

Immigration and Film Syllabus - Fall 2010

Office hours have changed!

Hello everyone,

My office hours this semester have changed to Tuesdays from 1:20 to 2:20, CFA 287. If you need to speak with me this week send me an email to make an appointment anytime Friday from 3-5.

Also, remember that tomorrow's class will be in CFA 232. Please bring with you your top 3 choices of films for the oral presentation if have not already sent me an email with them.

Week 1

SocialbarometerCortes_week1