CMS 320 A: Cinema and Nation

This course introduces students to a range of storytelling styles in cinema in India, the world's most prolific film producing nation. We consider commercial big budget films but also independent, art-house, and documentary cinema. The cinema of the current millennium in India is more varied, and more engaged than ever in finding new ways to articulate the relation between family (the most frequent depicted context for stories in cinema), nation, and identity (both personal and collective). Students learn about conventions, genres, and forms specific to Indian cinema, learn about the forces shaping cinematic expression in India today, and explore how to relate films to the complexity of Indian society.