Courses
The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.
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CAS CI 378: Modern Greek Culture and Film
Introduction to Greek cultural, social, historical, political, economic, and religious issues through a range of films that have reflected and shaped contemporary Greek society. Entertainment, education, popular culture, propaganda, and identity- and nation-building practices as reflected in Greek cinema. Also offered as CAS CG 357. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy. -
CAS CI 380: Gender and Identity in Contemporary Middle Eastern Film
An exploration of representations of gender and identity in contemporary Middle Eastern films by male and female directors reflecting on the impact of modernization, globalization, war and trauma through different visual genres. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Digital/Multimedia Expression. -
CAS CI 381: Modern India through Bollywood
Explores the social history and culture of modern India through the lens of popular Hindi cinema, commonly called Bollywood. We analyze Bollywood films both as forms of art and as cultural texts, and examine how they reflect and interpret modern Indian society. Course readings focus on theoretical approaches to Hindi cinema, and also shed light on the larger historical and social context that surrounds it. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking. -
CAS CI 383: Auteur Studies: Japan
Deep exploration of the films of one director with attention to cultural and historical context and the creative process. Topic for Spring 2023: Kurosawa Akira. Attention to Kurosawa's film style, global reception, and his complex reflections on Japanese history and the nature of cinema and art. Readings in English and all films available with English subtitles. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation. -
CAS CI 386: Fascism and the Holocaust in Italy
The Fascist regime and the Holocaust in Italy: how the civic status of Italian Jews changed from the beginnings of discrimination against them to deportations of 1943, posing larger questions about bigotry and racism, and the role of bystander complicity. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness. -
CAS CI 387: The Holocaust Through Film
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - An examination of film using the Holocaust as its central topic. What are the political and cultural effects when genocide is represented through film? Can feature films portray history, and if so, what are the consequences for an informed society? Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course. -
CAS CI 388: World Cities: Berlin
This course explores Berlin's urban imaginary, investigating cinematic, written and visual texts, architecture and urban planning to witness the complex, exciting, and sometimes tragic history of Berlin and to understand how people make sense of cities in general. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy. Effective Fall 2026, this course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy. -
CAS CI 389: World Cities: Istanbul
An examination of Istanbul in the global imaginary as it transformed from the Capital of the Ottoman Empire to the cultural capital of the Republic of Turkey through critical analysis of visual and literary texts. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy. -
CAS CI 390: Special Topics in Cinema and Media Studies
Explores topics in cinema & media studies - May be repeated for credit as topics change. Topic for Fall 2026: Black Horror. -
CAS CI 395: Inhuman Films: Genders, Animals, Machines
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or 120). - This course explores what happens to the "human" at the intersection of feminist theory and cinematic representation. How and why do films assign humanity to some figures and withhold it from others on the basis of race, gender, "ability," etc.' Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration. -
CAS CI 430: Black American Cinema
A survey of important genres and movements in the history of Black American cinema, with possible focus on race films, civil rights dramas, horror and Blaxploitation films, postcolonial cinema, the LA Rebellion school, Black independent film, afrofuturism, and/or more. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Aesthetic Exploration. -
CAS CI 445: On Screen: Italians in America
Italian Americans have long been represented in American film and television. What are these representations and how have they been received? How is Italian American identity constructed through these media? Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness. -
CAS CI 480: Modern Chinese Literature & Film
A seminar on the major works of modern Chinese literature and cinema from the May Fourth period to the present, with a focus on close reading and visual analysis. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. -
CAS CI 482: Cinema-Monde: Mapping French Film
Spanning from the silent era to the present-day, this course reframes the key movements of French cinema through the lens of the global. Directors include Georges Melies, Jean Renoir, Jean-Luc Godard, Chantal Ackerman, Agnes Varda, and the Dardenne brothers. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation. -
CAS CI 490: Special Topics in Cinema and Media Studies
May be repeated for credit as topics change. Topic for Spring 2025, Section A1: Modes of Independent Filmmaking. Students learn the ways in which independent cinema functions as a viable alternative to mainstream filmmaking by studying works from movements such as the American avant-garde, Third Cinema, and the recent resurgence of no-budget film production in the digital age. Additionally, students gain experience in collaborative video production through topics such as cinematography, editing, and sound recording. -
CAS CI 491: Directed Study in Cinema & Media Studies
Directed study of a topic in cinema and media studies. -
CAS CI 492: Directed Study in Cinema & Media Studies
Directed study of a topic in cinema and media studies. -
CAS CI 495: Modes of Independent Filmmaking
Prerequisite: CASCI 200. - Study canonical examples of cinema outside mainstream production and exhibition avenues, while learning the basics of video production through practical experience. Students complete several short collaborative video projects focusing on different aspects of sound and image creation. -
CAS CI 512: Film and Media Theory
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First-year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASWR 100 or 120) and CASCI 101, CASCI 102, CASCI 200, or COMFT 250. - Introduction to film and media theory as a mode of inquiry. What happens when we render the world as an image? How do cinematic images differ from other forms of image-making? What does it mean to be a spectator? Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Research and Information Literacy. -
CAS CI 551: Studies in Auteur Filmmaking
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASWR 100 or WR 120) - Intensive study of a single filmmaker or group of filmmakers, paying special attention to theoretical problems of authorship and artistic control. How do filmmakers respond to studio pressure, historical events or government censorship? How do personal styles develop and transform in a collaborative medium? What does it mean to think of the director or writer or producer of a film as its author? Topic for Fall 2026: David Lynch & Jane Campion: Twin Stars. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Research and Information Literacy.
