This course studies images, topics, and cultural and historical issues related to modern Latin America and the Caribbean through Latin American and Caribbean films and other media sources. Within the context and influence of the New Latin American Cinema and within the context of the World Wide Web, radio, newspapers, and television, the course teaches students to recognize cinematographic or media strategies of persuasion and to understand the images and symbols utilized in the development of national/regional identity. Through film screenings, readings, discussions, and critical analyses, students will explore the unique cinematic styles, narrative techniques, and aesthetics that characterize Latin American film. Students will engage in research projects, presentations, and written critiques to enhance their understanding of the role of cinema as a tool for cultural expression and social change in Latin America. The topics to be studied are immigration, gender identity, national identity, political issues, and cultural hegemonies. This course satisfies the Inquiry Seminar to complete the HUA requirement in Spanish and would also count toward International and Global Studies and Latin American and Caribbean studies. In addition, this course would benefit students interested in WPI's Project Centers in Latin America and the Caribbean. This course is taught at an advanced level of Spanish.
This course will be offered in academic years ending in even numbers.