This course is the first of a two-part sequence that aims to give students an introductory overview of the history of global cinema. The present course covers the period from the beginning of cinema through the 1950's. This course introduces students to various aspects of cinema that have to be considered un the rubric "film history:" modes of production, national and transnational frameworks, film aesthetics, film art and authorship, and various historical and socio-cultural factors that have influenced the production, circulation, and reception of films around the globe.