ROMANIA TRANSFORMED (Romanian Literature, Art and Film)
Situated at the border between the East and West, Romania embodies the co-existence of cultural paradoxes informing major artistic trends and ideologies during the last 100 years. The course investigates the roots of surrealism, dadaism, theatre of the absurd, as well as practices of resistance against totalitarian regimes, and women's roles in forging a new democratic society. The students will learn about New Romanian Cinema and will have the unique possibility to attend the 9th edition of the Romanian Film Festival (November 11-27) and meet with Romanian film directors and critics. Taught in English, no knowledge of Romanian is required.
Readings
Poems: Tristan Tzara, Paul Celan, Ana Blandiana, Marin Sorescu, Roxana Cazan;
Plays: Eugene Ionesco's Chairs (1952), Matei Visniec's The Body of a Woman as a Battlefield in the Bosnian War (2000)
Short Stories: Gherasim Luca's The Passive Vampire (1945), Mircea Cărtărescu's The Architect (1989)
Essays: Emil Cioran's Letter to a Faraway Friend (1960) and Aphorisms from the Trouble of Being Born and Tears and Saints
Novellas: Herta Müller's The Passport (1989)
Films:
The Legend of the Official Visit, director Ioana Uricaru. 2009.
Metronom, director Alexandru Belc. 2022.
Two Lottery Tickets, director Paul Negoescu, 2016.
Optional:
Certainties of Probabilities, director Raluca Durbaca. 2021
Ukrainian Sheriffs, director Roman Bondarchuk, 2015.
General Education Requirements met:
Individuals and Societies (I&S)
Visual, Literary and Performing Arts (VLPA)
Evaluation
20 % oral presentation;
30% short paper;
50 % final paper about 10 double spaced pages.