Course Title：China on Screen

This seminar course covers the essentials of the Chinese Cinema through discussion on film examples and related readings. The major discussion topics include 1) basic theories and methods in film studies, 2) historical development of the Chinese cinema, 3) cultural tradition and major genres, 4) important film directors, 5) the social criticism tradition, 6) the construction of the national image, 7) Chinese women’s images, 8) Chinese men’s images; 9) images of ethnic minorities; and 10) national cinema and transnational cinema. Each session focuses on a couple of film examples. Students are required to both read related articles and watch related films before coming to class for presentation and discussion. Through reading, presentation and discussion on these topics, students are expected to acquire systematic knowledge on the Chinese cinema, have a deeper understanding of contemporary Chinese culture and society as reflected through the vivid images of film, and enhance their ability in academic research in cultural studies areas.