Colonial/Decolonial is taught in French and open to anyone who has completed FREN 215. It offers an exploration of the often-contentious debates surrounding colonization and its aftermath in shaping French and Francophone cultures and societies. The course examines the historical processes, theoretical frameworks, and artistic expressions that define colonial and postcolonial dynamics. In the first half, we trace the intellectual and cultural justifications and critiques of colonial expansion through readings from Bougainville, Diderot, and Prévost, alongside representations of the "other" in the Encyclopédie and the Description de l'Égypte. The second half explores postcolonial and decolonial thought as both historical phases and interconnected schools of theory. Topics include the specifics of decolonization from France, portrayals of the French colonizer, and connections between the Francophone world and other formerly colonized regions. Guiding these discussions are works by Aimé Césaire, Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, Maryse Condé, Assia Djebar, Albert Memmi, and Henri Laurens. The course also includes screenings of Pépé le Moko (1939, dir. Julien Duvivier), The Battle of Algiers (1966, dir. Gillo Pontecorvo), Adieu Bonaparte (Egypt, 1985, dir. Youssef Chahine), and Atlantique (2019, dir. Mati Diop). Additional insights are drawn from several podcasts and interviews on Radio France, linking colonial, postcolonial, and decolonial discourses to contemporary theoretical, political, and artistic debates. |