The Cinema of Eastern Europe in the Cold War Era

3 units

This course has two objectives. On the one hand, we will watch masterpieces of European cinema, awarded at international festivals and directed by legendary names such as Milos Forman, Emir Kusturica and Andrzej Wajda, and focus on their artistic genius. On the other hand, we will study the way in which the confrontational politics of the Cold War inform these films, with a special focus on the perplexing predicament of a divided and antagonized Europe. The readings for this class emphasize our dual exploration. We will work with texts dealing with both film history and its aesthetics and with broader analyses of the intellectual and political landscape of the Cold War context. Required Screenings.