CMS 320A / JSIS 480A
TRANSNATIONALISM IN LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA
Winter 2020, 5 credits
Prof. Cynthia Steele
MW 12:30-2:20
Johnson 022
Description:
“In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Latin American films like Amores perros, Diarios de motocicleta, Y tu mamá también and Cidade de Deus enjoyed an unprecedented level of critical and commercial success in global markets. Benefiting from external financial and/or creative input, these films were considered examples of transnational cinema. Through a textual analysis of six filmmakers, we will examine these and other transnational films, including the subsequent wave or commercially successful ‘deterritorialized’ films by the same directors.” (Tierney)
You will watch two films a week on instant streaming, read the textbook and several critical essays, and keep a viewing and reading journal. In addition, there will be several pop quizes on the assigned films and readings throughout the quarter; you can miss one quiz without penalty. Also, you will write one 4-6-page comparative analytical essay. You will be required to subscribe to Netflix for the duration of the quarter, in order to watch several of the films. Other films will be available on Canvas, on Kanopy, or for rental on Amazon Video. All films have English subtitles. PLEASE NOTE: There is a great deal of nudity and violence in several of these films. If you are sensitive to these issues, you may want to consider taking a different class.
Textbook:
Tierney, Dolores. New Transnationalisms in Contemporary Latin American Cinema. Edinburgh UP, paperback, 2019. · ISBN-10: 1474431135 · ISBN-13: 978-1474431132
Canvas Site:
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1353853
Films:
F1. Llosa, Claudia. Madeinusa. 2006.
F2. González Iñárritu, Alejandro. Amores perros (Love’s a Bitch, 2000), Modalis
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1353853/assignments/5093483
F3. ____________, 21 Grams (2003), Amazon Video, $4
F4. ____________, Babel (2006), Netflix
https://www.netflix.com/search?q=babel&jbv=70045866&jbp=0&jbr=0
F5. ____________, The Revenant (2015), Amazon $4
F6. Cuarón, Alfonso. Sólo con tu pareja (Love in a Time of Hysteria, 1991), Netflix
https://www.netflix.com/search?q=solo%20con%20tu%20parej&jbv=70055221&jbp=0&jbr=0
F7. ____________, Y tu mamá también (And Your Mother Too, 2001), Netflix
https://www.netflix.com/search?q=y%20tu%20mam%C3%A1%20tambi&jbv=60023237&jbp=0&jbr=0
F8. ____________, Roma (2018), Netflix
https://www.netflix.com/search?q=roma&jbv=80240715&jbp=0&jbr=0
F9. del Toro, Guillermo. Cronos (1993), Kanopy
https://washington.kanopy.com/video/cronos
F10. -----------, El laberinto del fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth, 2006), Swank
https://digitalcampus-swankmp-net.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/uwashington303229/#/play/83435
F11. _______, Crimson Peak (2015), Amazon $4
F12. Mireilles, Fernando and Kátia Lund, Cidade de Deus (City of God, 2002), Swank
https://digitalcampus-swankmp-net.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/uwashington303229/#/play/82537
F13. Salles, Walter. Diarios de motocicleta (Motorcycle Diaries (2004), Swank
https://digitalcampus-swankmp-net.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/uwashington303229/#/play/83432
F14. Campanella, Juan José. El secreto de sus ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes (2009), Canvas
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1353853/assignments/5093486
F15. Ray, Billy. The Secret in their Eyes (2015), Netflix
https://www.netflix.com/search?q=the%20secret%20in%20their%20eye&jbv=80049281&jbp=0&jbr=0
Articles (Posted on Canvas):
A1. Pagán-Teitelbaum, Ileana. “Glamour in the Andes: Indigenous Women in Peruvian Cinema.” Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies, Vol. 7, No. 1, March 2012, pp. 71-93.
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1353853/files/folder/Critical%20Essays?preview=60738389
A2. McGowan, Todd. “The Contingency of Connection: The Path to Politicization in ‘Babel.’” Discourse, Vol. 30, No. 3, Fall 2008, pp. 401-418.
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1353853/files/folder/Critical%20Essays?preview=60738390
A3. de la Mora, Sergio. “Roma: Reparation Versus Exploitation.” Film Quarterly Vol. 72 No. 4 (Summer 2019): 46-53.
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1353853/files/folder/Critical%20Essays?preview=60940550
A4. Hartney, Christopher. “With Spain in Our Hearts: The Political Fantastic of Guillermo del Toro’s Laberinto del Fauno (2006) and El espinazo del diablo (2001).” Literature and Aesthetics Vol. 19, No. 2, December 2009, pp. 187-201.
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1353853/files/folder/Critical%20Essays?preview=60738392
A5. Nagib, Lúcia. “Taking Bullets: The Language of Violence in City of God.” Third Text Vol. 18, Issue 3, 2004, pp. 239-250.
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1353853/files/folder/Critical%20Essays?preview=60738393
A6. Rocha, Carolina. “El secreto de sus ojos: An Argentine Male Melodrama.” New Cinemas: Journal of Contemporary Film, Vol. 12, Nos. 1 & 2, pp. 3-15.
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1353853/files/folder/Critical%20Essays?preview=60738394
Distribution of Grades:
Reading and Viewing Journal, Part 1 20
Reading and Viewing Journal, Part 2 20
Quizes 20
Essay 20
Class Participation 20
Reading and Viewing Journal:
Please write at least one page, typed, double-spaced, on each of the assigned films and readings; see the complete list under “Assignments: Journal Part One” and “Assignments: Journal Part Two.” For each half of the journal, write a single Word document and begin each entry on a new page. Please number your entries and follow the order given on the list. You should submit each half of your journal as a single Word document, through Canvas; submit the first half by 11 pm on Friday, January 26, and the second half by 11 pm on Sunday, March 11.
Analytical Essay:
Please write a 4-6-page analytical essay comparing the treatment of a theme in two or three of the films that we have studied in class this quarter. For more specific guidelines, see the instructions posted to our Canvas site. The essay should be uploaded to the Canvas drop box by 11 pm on Tuesday, March 13. Please title your file YourlastnameEssay.docx (for instance, Jones.Essay.docx).
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Please utilize the services of the writing tutors at the Odegaard Writing and Research Center. You can make appointments with them online:
https://depts.washington.edu/owrc/signup.php
On Sundays through Thursdays from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm, you can also use the CLUE drop-in writing center in MGH 141.
Class Participation:
Your class participation grade will be based on the frequency and quality of your participation in class discussions. Obviously, a major part of this will involve regular class attendance and being prepared by having read the assigned texts and viewed the assigned films.
Quizes:
There will be five pop quizes on the assigned films and readings during the quarter. You can miss one quiz without penalty.
Plagiarism:
Please be aware that, through Canvas, your written work will be submitted to Vericite.You are responsible for understanding and observing the UW guidelines regarding plagiarism:
http://depts.washington.edu/grading/issue1/honesty.htm
It is not acceptable under any circumstances to use a for-pay paper web site as a source of information. Incidents of plagiarism may be reported to the Provost’s Committee on Academic Conduct. A second incident could result in your suspension from the University. Please let me know if you have any questions about these guidelines or about the UW policy on plagiarism.
Students with Disabilities:
To request accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disabled Student Services, 448 Schmitz, (206) 543-8924 ((V/TTY). If you have a letter from Disabled Student Services indicating that you have a disability that requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to me so we can discuss such accommodations.
Resources:
UW Libraries Catalog:
https://www.lib.washington.edu/
Internet Movie Data Base:
Metacritic Film Reviews and Trailers:
Mediático:
http://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/mediatico/
Purdue OWL Writing Lab:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html
Writing about Film:
MLA Formatting and Style Guide:
CALENDAR
WEEK ONE
Mon, Jan. 6
Introduction
Wed, Jan. 8
R1. Tierney Introduction, pp. 1-32
Film 1: Madeinusa, Amazon, $4
R2. Article 1: Pagán-Teitelbaum
WEEK TWO
Mon, Jan. 13
R3. Tierney, Mexico: Introduction & Ch. 1, Alejandro González Iñárritu, pp. 33-60
Film 2: Amores perros (2001) Modalis
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1353853/assignments/5093483
Wed, Jan. 15
Film 3: 21 Grams (2003) Amazon $4
WEEK THREE
Mon, Jan. 20
Holiday: Martin Luther King Day
Wed, Jan. 22
Film 4: Babel Netflix (or Amazon $3)
https://www.netflix.com/search?q=babel&jbv=70045866&jbp=0&jbr=0
R4. Article 2: McGowan; and Tierney, Babel, pp. 60-66
WEEK FOUR
Mon, Jan. 27
Film 5: The Revenant Amazon $4
R5. Tierney, The Revenant, pp. 233-235
Wed, Jan. 29
R6. Tierney, Ch. 2, Alfonso Cuarón, pp. 76-101
Film 6: Sólo con tu pareja, Netflix (or Amazon $4)
https://www.netflix.com/search?q=solo%20con%20tu%20parej&jbv=70055221&jbp=0&jbr=0
WEEK FIVE
Mon, Feb 3
Film 7: Y tu mamá también, Modalis
https://www.netflix.com/search?q=y%20tu%20mam%C3%A1%20tambi&jbv=60023237&jbp=0&jbr=0
Wed, Feb 5
Film 8: Roma (2018), Netflix
https://www.netflix.com/search?q=roma&jbv=80240715&jbp=0&jbr=0
R7. Article 3: de la Mora
WEEK SIX
Mon, Feb. 10
R8. Tierney, Ch. 3: Guillermo del Toro, pp. 102-122
Film 9: Cronos, Kanopy
https://washington.kanopy.com/video/cronos
Wed, Feb. 12
Film 10: El laberinto del fauno
https://digitalcampus-swankmp-net.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/uwashington303229/#/play/83435
R9. Article 4: Hartney
7 pm JOURNAL ONE DUE
WEEK SEVEN
Mon, Feb. 17
Holiday: Presidents Day
Wed, Feb. 19
Film 11: Crimson Peak, Amazon $4
R11. Tierney pp. 235-238
WEEK EIGHT
Mon, Feb. 24
R12. Tierney, Brazil: Introduction, pp. 123-136
and Ch. 7, Fernando Mireilles, pp. 123-160
R13. Article 5: Nagib
Film 12: City of God
https://digitalcampus-swankmp-net.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/uwashington303229/#/play/82537
Wed, Feb. 26
R14. Tierney, Ch. 5, Walter Salles, pp. 161-186
Film 13: Motorcycle Diaries
https://digitalcampus-swankmp-net.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/uwashington303229/#/play/83432
WEEK NINE
Mon,March 2
R15. Tierney, Argentina: Introduction, pp. 187-200
and Ch. 6, Juan José Campanella, pp. 187-226
R16. Article 6: Rocha
Film 14: El secreto de sus ojos, Modalis
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1353853/assignments/5093486
Wed, March 4
Film 15: The Secret in their Eyes Netflix (or Amazon, $4)
https://www.netflix.com/search?q=the%20secret%20in%20their%20eye&jbv=80049281&jbp=0&jbr=0
R17. Tierney, Epilogue, pp. 227-239
WEEK TEN
Mon,March 9
Writing tutorials
Wed, March 11
Writing tutorials
Sun, March 15
7 pm JOURNAL TWO DUE
Wed, March 18
7 pm ESSAY DUE