Film & Television Studies: Korean Auteurs

Advanced level investigations into the critical study of film and/or television. May be repeated for credit. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisite: FTS 1400, FTS 1420, or FTS 1430; FTS 2050.

Prereqs enforced by the system: FTS 2050; FTS 1400, FTS 1420, or FTS 1430; Prereqs: FTS 1300 and 1320 PACE students by permission and override

This seminar is organized around three questions: First, how do we theorize emancipation for all humanity? Second, how does film engage with this emancipation? Third, how do South Korean auteur films articulate their own answers to these questions? Throughout our exploration we will read critical texts that theorize emancipation and examine the way films translate this inquiry into sight, sound, and story. Further, we shall interrogate how South Korean auteur cinema, one of the most successful national cinemas, participates in this quest for universal emancipation through its own uniquely local contexts using image and sound that expresses South Korea’s historical, political, and cultural experience, which also resonates with a global audience.

Participation in class discussions will be crucial for your learning in this class. Rather than passively listening to lectures and looking at Power Points (which I DO NOT use) you will be expected to listen, think, formulate your thoughts, and respond.

Weekly screening notes; reading responses; in-class activities including a creative project; final exam; final project (critical essay)