The concept of transnational cinema is an important and exciting framework through which the interconnections between film cultures and filmmakers can be explored. While the nation was the dominant model through which film was viewed for many decades, recent criticism has acknowledged that in a globalized world, looking at how film crosses geographical, linguistic, industrial and cultural borders is more important than ever. Transnational cinema also addresses a particular set of themes, centered around pressing global concerns: climate change, terrorism, migration and border crossing, diasporic identities, postcolonialism, memory and loss, and changing models of gender and sexuality in an interconnected world. This module invites students to consider these themes in films from multiple geographical locations, encompassing Mexico/Spain, US/Pakistan, UK/India, Korea/UK, and Iran/France, among other.
In class, we will always pay attention to how these films cross borders: in terms of cast and crew, themes, production, distribution and aesthetics.