Spanish 797AS - ST- Aging Studies and Cinema

In a context of obsession with physical perfection and eternal youth, the cinematic representation of the older body, especially of the older woman's body, implies a thematic and aesthetic challenge. In this class we will tackle the intersection between age and gender in cinema by addressing the following topics: Elder Stereotypes in cinema (Narratives of Decline/Successful Aging/Affirmative Aging), The invisibility of aging women in mainstream cinema; The representation of aging women vis-a-vis aging men; The evolution of older women's representation in the history of cinema; Aging in a cultural context: cross-national differences; Aging and violence: Films that transform established narratives on elder women's abuse and neglect and seek to reverse the traditional absence and/or stereotyping of older female characters in contexts of violence; Aging and sex: female eroticism after 50 (or after 40); Aging and homosexuality; Aging and illness; Aging/loss of memory/loss of historical memory; Death and Euthanasia. The goal of this class is to provide students with specialized material for a deep understanding of the field of aging studies. Students will read academic texts on the topic and will work on a body of relevant films. Class is taught in Spanish.