Description
In this course we will explore the vibrant film cultures of Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, The Philippines, mainland China, Thailand and Singapore. We will focus on New Waves in Taiwan, global auteur cinema from mainland China and South Korea, women’s cinema in the studio system of Japan, political melodramas from The Philippines made under Martial Law, the unique career of Takeshi Kitano from comedian to art-house auteur, films about migrant life from Singapore, and the dreamlike cinema of Apichatpong Weerasethakul.Ìý
Asia is understood not as an essentialist category, but as a contextualised position and we will fully contextualise the socio-political, cultural, industrial, commercial and historical conditions of each cinematic tradition we look at in the region. We will also focus on issues including the relationship between popular and sociopolitical filmmaking; provincialism and nationalism; ‘projecting to Western expectations’ and orientalism; audience reception in and outside of Asia; localizing blockbusters to appeal to local audiences; and how directors use film form to generate meaning.Ìý
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.
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