ENG 111-4 - Topic: The Magic of Experimental Women Film Directors (W) (1)

Women filmmakers experiment in dazzling ways in the free space of independent cinema. We’ll learn about a few highly influential ones and develop skills for writing about their work. Julie Dash, an African-American filmmaker, directed an award-winning short film, Illusions (1982) reflecting on race/gender issues in 40s Hollywood, and, later, Daughters of the Dust, which in 1991 was the first full-length film by an African American woman director. Maya Deren, leader of the New York avant-garde film culture at midcentury, theorized about film and created astonishing short films such as: “At Land” (1944), “Meshes of the Afternoon” (1943) and “A Study in Choreography for the Camera” (1945). Patricia Rozema delighted and inspired viewers and filmmakers with her fantastical, quirky flight of fancy in I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987), voted one of the best Canadian films of all time. Throughout the course, students will draft and redraft writings, from in-class writing to film reviews to essays and research-informed critical projects. Students will learn how to search for film and cultural scholarship, using sophisticated library resources. Challenging writing assignments will help develop critical thinking and critical writing skills. Not open to students who have completed their writing course (W) requirement. HANKINS
(Writing Requirement)