Students in this course study a selection of films from modern Europe and Third World cultures which demonstrate both their interaction with postmodern politics, theory and culture, and the development of an international alternative discourse to Hollywood commercial film-making. Films will be selected according to a theme each semester. Past themes have included Italian Neo-Realism, Independent Film Makers, and Women in Film.

In Summer 2025, this course will be offered in Rome (last two weeks in Bologna). Spend six weeks learning and living in one of the most magical countries in Europe. You’ll spend the first four weeks in the vibrant cinematic city of Rome exploring its rich film tradition, including a visit to the famous Ciné Citta Studios. This part of the course will focus on filmmaking in the capital city of Rome—we will study a broad range of films set in Rome by Italian directors, including Calvalcanti, Fellini, Pasolini, Visconti, and Wertmüller, as well as look at Italian American filmmakers such as Coppola and Scorsese for whom Italy plays a major role in their cinematic oeuvre. We will visit neighborhoods in which films were made outside of the studio and visit a dubbing lab. The last two weeks of the course will shift to the Cinema Ritrovato film festival in Bologna. Initiated by Scorsese as a means by which to preserve and showcase both classical and lesser-known films from around the globe, Cinema Ritrovato constitutes one of the most important film festivals honoring the importance of the medium as a major art and cultural form. We will explore the politics of exhibition and trace a history of festivals—what gets included, what are the processes and politics of restoration, how are canons formed? In addition to a festival pass, we will visit a restoration lab and a film museum.