A study of selected major film traditions from a literary perspective. By examining themes, structures, montage, and other literary and filmic elements, students will become familiar with important concepts in film analysis. Individual offerings of the course may focus on filmmakers, movements, periods, or themes. The goal will be to appreciate the aesthetic and social significance of film as a twentieth-century medium and to explore various intersections of film and literature.
Fall 2012: Gemünden (3A)
Arrival Cities: Migrations between Istanbul and Berlin (Identical to German Studies 43)
Taking its cue from Doug Saunders' recent study, this seminar investigates patterns of immigration from Turkey to Berlin from the 1960s to the present. Focusing on the legal, economic, and social determinants of labor migration, we will study German-Turkish literature, films, and political writings to understand how the cultural identity and self-representations of Turks in Germany has shifted over the last three generations. We will also examine the issue of temporary and permanent return to the homeland. A comparative study of the arrival cities Los Angeles and Istanbul will highlight the idiosyncrasies of the Berlin scenario. Authors and filmmakers will include Zafer Senocak, Sevgi Ozdamar, Aysun Bademsoy, Fatih Akin, Tefvik Baser, Thomas Arslan, Kutlug Ataman, Hussi Kutlucan, Feo Aladag, Jeanine Meerapfel, Werner Schröter, and Detlef Buck.
