In this course we will encounter the output of some of the most engaging filmmakers working today. No film shown in this course will be more than eighteen months from its world premiere, and each will be accompanied by a Q+A with its director. These up-close discussions will engender such questions as: What are the issues preoccupying filmmakers today? Where are the most fertile grounds for new work? How do original artists navigate funding and distribution? At term’s end, students will complete the class with a deeper understanding of contemporary film culture, and more than a few ideas for how to make a place for themselves in it.
Sample reading list:
Alex Ross Perry, Queen of Earth
Brett Story, Prison in Twelve Landscapes
Josephine Decker, Thou Wast Mild and Lovely
Kahlik Allah, Field Niggas
Athina Tsangari, Chevalier
Lana Wilson, After Tiller
Reading/Writing assignments:
Students will read 1 essay / week (the essay will be provided by that week’s filmmaker). Students will write 8 response papers (of at least 500 words / each) and 1 Final paper (of 2000 words).
