Topics in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (391-0-1)

Topic

Mexican and Central American Cinema

Instructors

Nathaniel Andrew Rossi

Meeting Info

Louis Hall 119: Tues 3:00PM - 5:50PM

Overview of class

Mexican & Central American Cinema

This course seeks to introduce students to major themes and issues in recent past and contemporary Mexican and Central American cinema. In particular, we will focus on two major units - the first will explore representations of domestic labor, space, and identity in Mexican cinema. The second major unit will look at representations of Maya subjectivities in recent Guatemalan cinema. Central to our discussions will be an interrogation of the concept of Mexican and Central American cinema as "national" or "regional" cinemas, consideration of the effects of globalization on Mexican and Central American film industries and cultures, an exploration of transnational film culture and audiences, the role of "filmmaker as activist," and an examination of the relationship between memory, state violence, and visual cultures. Themes of domestic labor, migration, displacement, and Indigeneity will be emphasized.

Class Materials (Required)

I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala, by Rigoberta Menchú
ISBN: 978-1844674183
Approx $25 new on Amazon (used copies available for cheaper)