FIST - Film Studies

FIST 100
Introduction to Film Studies
This course provides students with a basic introduction to the vocabulary of film studies and an overview of historical, analytical, and theoretical approaches to film. Students will begin to develop the critical means for engaging with the filmic medium in discussion and writing. These aims will be met through a diverse selection of films rooted in different cultures, times, and ideologies. Units: 6.

FIST 177
Introduction to German Film (in English)
With its pivotal role in the inaugurationof the cinema, knowledge of German film is critical to an understanding of the history of film. Considered as one of the most accessible aesthetic forms, the moving image pervades our everyday lives, and yet we seldom think of what we do as "reading" films. Throughout this course, students will be introduced to the practice of reading German films using three structuring lenses: 1) film and cultural history, 2) formal and generic elements, and 3) film criticism. Units: 6.

Also listed as German 177

FIST 191
Directed Study in Film Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.

FIST 200
Introduction to Film Theory and Criticism
What is the language of film? What is the relationship between spectator and screen? What is the role of film as mass and global phenomena? This course explores basic issues in film theory and criticism that may include auteur theory, genre criticism, apparatus theory, stardom, feminist and queer film theories. Units: 6.

Prerequisite: One of FIST 100, FREN 302, FREN 411, GER 177, GER 277, GER 357, GER 411, SPAN 330; or consent of instructor.

FIST 240
Digital Processes
An introduction to the digital medium focusing on its capacity to convey artistic concepts through the interactive and multimedia capabilities of the Mac computer. Producing still image, video, and web-based projects using the computer screen as a venue are covered. The evolution of technology, new media theory, contemporary art discourse, and visual culture are explored through lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments. Units: 6.

Also listed as Studio Art 240

Prerequisite: ART 100 or ART 110

FIST 260
The Art of Film
A study of the narrative and visual techniques in films selected from masterpieces of modern cinema. Readings in film history, film theory, and film aesthetics along with viewings of approximately ten movies from various periods and countries, by directors such as Eisenstein, Wells, Fellini, Kurasawa, and Truffaut. Units: 6.

Also listed as Theatre Arts 260

Prerequisite: Sophomore standing

FIST 277
Introduction to German Film Studies
With its pivotal role in the inauguration of the cinema, knowledge of German film is critical to any understanding of the history of film. This course is intended to be an introduction both to German cinema and to the discipline of film studies. Considered perhaps as one of the most accessible aesthetic forms, the moving image pervades our everyday lives and yet we seldom think of what we do in the movie theatre as “reading.” Throughout this course, students will be introduced to the practice of reading the filmic text using three structuring lenses: 1) history, 2) formal and generic elements, and 3) film criticism. Units: 6.

Also listed as German 277

Prerequisite: GER 202 or consent of instructor

FIST 302
Cinematically Speaking
French films function as a springboard for readings, discussions, oral presentations, and short critical essays. We will briefly examine the history of French film from 1940 to the present, study cinematic techniques, the vocabulary of cinema, and explore the principal themes. Units: 6.

Also listed as French 302

Prerequisite: FREN 202 or consent of instructor

FIST 305
Film as History and History as Film
An examination, through selected films, of specific moments in European history and an examination of film itself as a source of historical interpretation. Possible “historical moments” include Medieval England, Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust, and possible films include Becket, The Triumph of the Will, and Schindler’s List. Units: 6.

Also listed as History 305

Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

FIST 330
Introduction to Film
A bridge between intermediate and advanced courses. Intensive discussion, reading, and writing practice using films from a variety of genres (documentaries and feature films, including film adaptations of stories, novels, and plays in Spanish). Emphasis on the analysis of film components and structure and, where relevant, on the interconnections between literary texts and film. Not open to native speakers of Spanish. Units: 6.

Also listed as Spanish 330, Theatre Arts 352

Prerequisite: SPAN 202, its equivalent, or consent of the instructor; not open to native speakers of Spanish.

FIST 340
Intermediate Digital Processes
A continuation of Art 240 with an emphasis on the production of art objects through the use of digital tools. The Mac computer and software are used as an extension of existing art forms such as photography, filmmaking, and book publishing. Lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments focus around the exploration of new media theory and contemporary art issues. Units: 6.

Also listed as Studio Art 340

Prerequisite: ART 240 or ART 245

FIST 350
Modern Chinese Literature and Cinema in Translation
A survey of 20th-century Chinese fiction and cinema. Iconoclastic works of modern Chinese vernacular fiction from 1919 through the post-Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) will be juxtaposed alongside films dealing with the same period, such as Red Sorghum (1987) and Farewell, My Concubine (1992) made by the so-called Fifth Generation of film directors (born after 1949, when the People’s Republic was founded). Class conducted in English. No knowledge of Chinese required. Units: 6.

Also listed as Chinese and Japanese 350, East Asian Studies 350

Prerequisite: Sophomore standing; EAST 150 recommended

FIST 357
Film in Germany (In English)
This course selects from 90 years of filmmaking in Germany. Films range from expressionism to Nazi propaganda and from escapist comedies to avant garde art. Learning to “read” German films critically also means finding out how to understand movies from Hollywood and beyond. Possible topics include “From Caligari to Hitler,” “German Literature as Film,” and “What Makes Lola Run.” Taught in English. German majors and minors may participate in a two-unit tutorial in which discussions and some course readings will be in German. Units: 6.

Also listed as German 357, Theatre Arts 351

FIST 361
Vanpires, Monsters, and Man-Eaters (In English)
This course seeks to reveal the ways in which the question of monstrous difference is articulated in a variety of German “texts.” Its main goal is to examine the ways that representations of monstrousness are employed to stage complex public and private anxieties as well as to provide an expression of rebellion against various systems of hierarchy. Featured in the works of canonized authors as well as within the realm of popular culture, the representational functions of the monster can provide valuable insight into numerous aspects of German history and psychosexual relations. Units: 6.

Also listed as Gender Studies 361, German 361

FIST 362
Vampires, Monsters, and Man-Eaters
This course seeks to reveal the ways in which the question of monstrous difference is articulated in a variety of German “texts.” Its main goal is to examine the ways that representations of monstrousness are employed to stage complex public and private anxieties as well as to provide an expression of rebellion against various systems of hierarchy. Featured in the works of canonized authors as well as within the realm of popular culture, the representational functions of the monster can provide valuable insight into numerous aspects of German history and psychosexual relations. Units: 6.

Also listed as Gender Studies 362, German 362

Prerequisite: GER 312

FIST 390
Tutorial in Film Studies
Units: Variable.

Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

FIST 391
Directed Study in Film Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.

FIST 399
Independent Study in Film Studies
Units: Variable.

Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

FIST 400
Reel Men: Masculinity in American FIlm, 1945-2000
At the upper level, the course will serve as a history seminar in preparation for the history department's capstone course. Those taking it at that level will be required to write at least one paper addressing film or gender theory and to write a 10-15 page research prospectus. Not open to students who have previously received credit for HIST 300. Units: 6.

Also listed as History 400, Gender Studies 423

Prerequisite: Junior standing or above

FIST 411
Fascism and Film
This course lets students examine films that were ostensibly made as entertainment or explicitly crafted as propaganda in the historical context of Nazi Germany and occupied France. Aside from learning how governments and their cinematic agents used this relatively new medium to shape public opinion (in support of the war, against Jews, etc.), students will see where and how resistance was possible. Units: 6.

Also listed as French 411

Prerequisite: One course in French at the 300 level or consent of instructor

FIST 412
Fascism and Film (In English)
This course lets students examine films that were ostensibly made as entertainment or explicitly crafted as propaganda in the historical context of Nazi Germany and occupied France. Aside from learning how governments and their cinematic agents used this relatively new medium to shape public opinion (in support of the war, against Jews, etc.) students will see where and how resistance was possible. Units: 6.

Also listed as German 411

FIST 416
Literature and Human Rights
An interdisciplinary investigation of the aesthetics and ethics of representing human rights and their violations in literature and film. Texts include novels, plays, essays, and films on topics such as genocide, torture, and development. Units: 6.

Also listed as English 516, Ethnic Studies 516

Prerequisite: Junior standing, ENG 280, or consent of instructor

FIST 422
Borrowed Music in the Movies
When a film uses a pre-existing piece of music (popular or classical), meanings multiply, both within and outside the film itself. This course will explore these meanings, focusing on the fluid and reciprocal relationship between film and the music it borrows. Units: 6.

Also listed as Music History 422

Prerequisite: MUHI 201 and MUHI 202

FIST 447
The Literature and Culture of Ethnic Minorities in Germany
Despite a long-term refusal to open itself to immigration, Germany has become a nation of immigrants and asylum-seekers. The course focuses on how both literature and films, including works by and about minorities in Germany, have dealt with key cultural phenomena: multiculturalism, diversity, acculturation, assimilation, “majority culture,” and parallel societies. Units: 6.

Also listed as German 447, Ethnic Studies 382

Prerequisite: GER 312 or consent of the instructor

FIST 470
American Indians on Film
The course examines the ways in which American Indians have been depicted on film. Ethnographic, documentary, and feature films are examined and compared to understand how film has shaped our image of American Indians. Units: 6.

Also listed as Anthropology 470, Ethnic Studies 430

Prerequisite: ANTH 350 or consent of instructor

FIST 540
Advanced Digital Processes
A continuation of Art 340. Advanced work in digital techniques and contemporary art theory. Discussions, readings and projects focus around art issues and conceptual exploration. Project planning and implementation are emphasized as students work toward producing a self-designed project with a developed artist statement. Units: 6.

Also listed as Studio Art 540

Prerequisite: ART 240 or ART 245

FIST 590
Tutorial in Film Studies
Units: Variable.

Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

FIST 591
Directed Study in Film Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.

FIST 599
Independent Study in Film Studies
Units: Variable.

Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

FIST 690
Tutorial in Film Studies
Units: Variable.

Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

FIST 691
Directed Study in Film Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.

FIST 699
Independent Study in Film Studies
Units: Variable.

Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

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