Topics in Urban Imgainaries in Literature and Film

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASLF 350 or CASLF 351; or consent of instructor. - May be taken twice for credit if topics are different. Students examine the filmic and literary representations of urban environments in France and the francophone world; the phenomenon of urbanization, the historical development, cultural and artistic context of its attractive power; fluxes of migration of the city; streets and monuments as characters. Topic for Fall 2026: Examines questions of displacement, migration, and mobility in postcolonial cultures, which have been a central focus in African literature and film both on the African continent and in the diaspora in Paris. Particular focus on Dakar (Senegal) and Paris (France). Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation, The Individual in Community.