THEA 629 (GENERAL ELECTIVE): African and Diaspora Film

The course offers a thoughtful inquiry into the intricate modes of production and relationships of African and Diaspora films.

The moralist, the commercial, the cultural, the ‘self-expression,’ and the ‘narcissistic intellectual’ tendencies of African films

will be discussed. Black independent films ranging from earliest black involvement at the turn of the century up through the

civil rights movement of the sixties; developments in both structuralist and post-structuralist film theory; assessment of works

of contemporary filmmakers such as Spike Lee; African-American comedy, black family film, and black action film will be investigated.

Diaspora films from elsewhere will also be examined.