Middle East Cinema

This course offers an introduction to films produced in the Middle East, to understand the culture and history of the region. In this class we will view films from the Arab world, as well as films from Iran and Afghanistan. Readings will provide background on the particular cultural and historical contexts in which the films were made, and the aesthetic traditions from which they emerged from and to which they refer. Readings will also serve to familiarize students with approaches to critically interpreting visual media. All films will be screened in original language with English subtitles.