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Course
M-TH, 12:00-2:10
More 225

Instructor
K. Gillis-Bridges
Padelford A305
543-4892
MW, 11:00-11:50
and by appointment

Page last updated
6/21/03

Title--Home

This course examines the work of female directors from the silent to the contemporary era, concentrating on the work of filmmakers from the U.S., Germany, and France.  An exploration of women directors’ work not only allows us to analyze film form, but also provides a unique perspective on the ideologies at work in films and the film industry.  Throughout the term, we will address the following questions:
  • What, if anything, unites the work of women directors?  Are there particular stylistic or narrative strategies that characterize films directed by women?
  • How does an investigation of women directors change our conception of film history?
  • How does feminist film criticism help us to interpret films made by women?  What challenges do particular directors pose to critics?
  • How do historical, cultural, and industrial factors shape the work of women directors?
As we explore these questions, we will discuss films produced both within and outside the mainstream film industry, films made by lesbian and heterosexual women, and films by white women and women of color.  We will also work toward several goals: learning how to conduct formal, theoretical, and ideological film analyses and developing as critical thinkers and writers. 

Course activities promote active learning, with most class sessions including a mix of mini-lectures, discussion, short writing exercises, and group work.  As an instructor, my role is to provide the tools and resources students will need to advance their thinking and writing.  I will pose questions, design activities to help students think through those questions, and respond to their ideas.  As students, your role is to do the hard work—the critical reading, discussion, and writing.  You will analyze films, generate ideas in electronic and face-to-face discussions, develop presentations with your peers, construct written arguments, and revise those arguments.