This five-week seminar explores some of the most important issues in contemporary Africa through the medium of film. These films introduce historical, political, and social challenges such as colonialism, autocracy, corruption, and racial reconciliation. We won't be watching Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls here. Instead, we'll view recently released films from Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, and Senegal, together with two films from the United States. All of these films are from filmmakers who take issues of the human condition seriously. Our goal is not only to gain exposure to contemporary African issues, but also to improve our ability to analyze how filmmakers portray important social questions.

Required Readings:  Each weekly film has an associated required reading on reserve at the Cullom-Davis Library. These readings are selected chapters from April A. Gordon and Donald L. Gordon, Understanding Contemporary Africa, 2^nd edition. The reading provides background information on the issue focused on by the film. Students are expected to complete the reading assignment in advance of each class session. Students must come to class each week prepared to discuss the films and readings.

Understanding Contemporary Africa is an excellent introductory text and worth purchasing if you wish to learn more about the continent. The Bradley Bookstore has ordered a small number of the latest (3^rd) edition of the book should you wish to purchase it. You are not required to purchase the text for the course.  The selected chapters from the 2^nd edition on reserve in the library will suffice for our purposes in this class.

Requirements:  Your course grade will be determined by your performance on an eight to ten page essay paper (80 percent) and class participation (20 percent).

On-time attendance at each weekly class meeting is required and roll will be taken in class every week. Excused absences must be cleared with the instructor in advance. Each unexcused absence will result in the deduction of 7 points from the student's course grade. Films shown in the class are virtually impossible to find in video rental stores and students may not borrow items from the University's instructional media collection. Thus, it is impossible to make up the viewing of a missed film.

Details of the essay paper assignment will be discussed on the first day of class.

Anticipated Schedule:

Week 1 (9/4) -- Course Introduction; How to Study Film; Colonialism

Week 2 (9/11) -- Autocracy

Week 3 (9/18) -- Corruption

Week 4 (9/25) -- Youth

Week 5 (10/2) -- South Africa

ESSAY PAPER DUE BY 12:00 NOON ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19^th.

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