Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0168 - LatinAmerican Children on Film

Childhood is no more an essential category than is gender; it is constructed. The course focuses on recent Latin American films that are not marketed to children, but feature minors (menores de edad) as organizing figures. It explores the way in which the child has been used to (re)envision collective histories and imagine different national futures and/or social change, but also to consider the problems that can arise from staging the child as a redemptive figure. The films depict four types: the "problem" and "at risk" child; travelling children; the child witness to political trauma; and "queer" children. In the process, the course highlights current Latin American history. Pertinent historical readings, theoretical essays, and critical articles supplement our screenings.

Culture, Humanities, and Languages Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research In this course, students are expected to spend 6 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.