FLM 330 - New Asian Cinemas

1 course unit

This course surveys contemporary cinema in Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, and the Philippines. Though the course addresses seminal developments in national cinematic traditions, such as the postwar Japanese nuclear-horror film Godzilla and the avant-garde Face of Another, it concentrates on films produced in the last 10-15 years. These will likely include the cyber revenge fantasy, Tetsuo Iron Man, from Japan; Hong Kong “new wave” films such as Chungking Express; Jia Zhangke’s Touch of Sin and 24 City, and experimental docudrama on the effects of China’s rapid urban re-development; films that explore directionless Asian youth subcultures (The Power of Kangwon Province and Goodbye South, Goodbye); the pleasantly bewildering Uncle Bonnmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives from Thailand and the relentlessly shocking Oldboy from S. Korea, among others.
Attendance at weekly screenings is required.
Meets general academic requirement DE and HU.