Otherness: Cinema, Music, Literature

3 Credits.

This course is a comparative journey through literature, music and cinema. The term 'Otherness' is known to be rooted in the Self-Other opposition as it emerged in German Idealism, adopted by psychoanalysis and transformed to Post-Colonial and Feminist theories. This theoretical framework will allow us to explore the role of the Other in literature, cinema, and music. Students will become familiar with the historical development of the notion of the “stranger” through reading, listening and analyzing various contemporary works of prose, cinema and music from various countries. We will analyze the ways in which these works depict Otherness and will investigate questions regarding their social, political and philosophical framework as well as the literary, musical and cinematographic devices they employ. At the center of our discussion will stand questions: Who is the Other? How do stories, music and films shape and challenge our perspective of the Other and of ourselves?