Black American Cinema
FILM 396
Fall 2025
| Section:
01
|
| Crosslisting:
AFAM 395 |
What is Black Cinema? Is it, as Tommy Lott has claimed, a critical form of filmmaking that resists the "Hollywood master narrative"? Or, as Michael Gillespie claims, does it elaborate Black visual and expressive culture without any pressuposed commitment to a "real" Black lifeworld? While these are critical questions that we will encounter in this class, we will not attempt to answer them. The class surveys a wide range of films to tell a conceptual story about the complex relationship between Blackness and cinema. We will discuss works by filmmakers such as Melvin Van Peebles, Oscar Micheaux, Spencer Williams, Kathleen Collins, Charles Burnett, Julie Dash, Ayoka Chenzira, and more. |
|
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA FILM |
| Course Format: Lecture | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: FILM304 OR FILM307 |
|
Fulfills a Requirement for: (African American Studies Minor)(African American Studies)(Film Studies Minor)(Film Studies) |
|
Past Enrollment Probability: 75% - 89% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Gillespie, Black American Cinema
Cripps, Black Film as a Genre
Stewart, Migrating to the Movies
Masood, Black City Cinema
All readings will be provided by the instructor
|
Examinations and Assignments:
Two short papers and a final paper. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
|
| Instructor(s): Ball,Kevin Dwight Times: ..T.R.. 01:20PM-04:40PM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 20 | | SR major: 4 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: 20 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 2 | JR non-major: 4 | SO: 6 | FR: X |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
|
|