WGS 412L: Gender, Human Rights, & Global Cinema

This course examines cinematic narratives of social injustices, across the world, with a special focus on gender and feminism. We study the stylistic, generic, and artistic choices made by filmmakers across geographic regions to understand how, rather than a neutral medium, cinema is often ideologically constructed to reinforce imperialistic and gendered power relations. Further, we study how cinema can be a powerful mode of dissent and advocacy. We engage with the central question, How do we determine a feminist impulse, narration and motivation in cinematic production about human rights struggles, and what difference does that make? Students will examine cinema from critical interdisciplinary and intersectional perspectives on human rights, aesthetics and gender. This is a hands-on, interactive course designed with the support of the Mellon Foundation.