Topics in Latina and Latino Text and Representation (393-0-4)

Topic

Documentary Filmmaking for Social Justice

Instructors

Elvia Mendoza
Crowe Hall, Room 1144

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-420: Wed 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

This course introduces students to documentary film(making) as a site of/for cultural production, a method, and an object of analysis. The course is structured around hands-on assignments and classroom exercises, supplemented with film screenings, short readings, and discussion to critically think about and discuss issues of representation, questions of ethics and positionality, truth and reality, and the ongoing question of what makes a documentary a documentary and what is the work it does and can do within a broader sociohistorical and cultural context. Students will learn the basic technical aspects of documentary filmmaking, including operating a camera, post-production workflow, editing, composition and framing, lighting and sound, and how meaning is created through narrative structures. Students will present their work weekly to receive feedback and improve their creative practice as they produce a collaborative short documentary film as their final project. Final film projects will be presented at our annual public film screening event. *First day of class is mandatory.

Learning Objectives

What will the student be expected to know by the end of the class?
1) Articulate a deeper appreciation for how documentary film serves as a medium for critically engaging with society at large. 2) Demonstrate a critical understanding of the implications of how historically marginalized communities are mis/represented in documentary film and other corresponding "non-fiction" film. 3). Demonstrate a deeper understanding of how positionality informs narrative structure in film. 4) Articulate an appreciation for the possibilities film(making) can offer as a tool for critical analysis and critically engaged research, as well as for organizing and activism.

Class Materials (Required)

All readings will be made available via Canvas.

Class Attributes

Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Registration is reserved for Latina and Latino Majors and Minors during pre-registration. Regular registration will be open to all majors/minors after the pre-registration period.