Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0288 - Time and Memory in Cinema

Cinema travels through time much as the human memory can, reliving moments in various times with "limitless possibilities," wrote Marxist philosopher and literary historian Gyorgy Lukacs. In this seminar, we will explore the ways in which global films engage with and can manipulate time and memory, both thematically and in terms of its aesthetic devices and different genre forms. We will examine how cinema as a time-based medium addresses nostalgia, trauma, dreams, and amnesia on both an individual and collective level. Drawing on historically and autobiographically inspired feature films, science fiction, coming-of-age stories, and other genres, we will discuss cinema's ability to mythologize, memorialize and critically reflect on the past as a space of socio-historical change, addressing class, race and gender roles, family dynamics, war, politics, and other themes. Possible films include Hiroshima, Mon Amour; La Jetee; A Very Long Engagement; Atonement; The Lives of Others; Volver; Au Revoir Les Enfants; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Moonlight; Cinema Paradiso; Atlantics; and others. Keywords: Film studies, time, memory studies, history, trauma

Time and Narrative Prerequisite: Previous film course preferred but not required. Students in this course can expect to spend 6 to 8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.