FRE 312 - Introduction to French and Francophone Film (1)

This course introduces students to the study of French-language film. They learn about important periods, movements, and directors in French and Francophone filmmaking from the beginning in 1895 with the Lumière brothers through the present, possibly including la Nouvelle Vague (films such as A Bout de souffle and Les Quatre Cent Coups), banlieue cinema (films that focus on or are made by people living in the housing projects surrounding major French cities), and films by Ousmane Sembène (a Senegalese author and director considered by some to be the ‘father of African cinema’). Students develop the critical vocabulary and skills necessary to analyze films as constructed texts and become familiar with the socio-historical contexts in which the films were produced. The course is conducted in French. Prerequisite: FRE 301 or permission of the instructor. Alternate years.
(Humanities)