AAAS 68.08 Black France on Film

In this course, we will journey not to a fixed destination called “Black France,” but through the centuries-long lived experiences of Africans and their descendants, including African Americans, in French cinema. Far from simply watching a variety of films and genres, we will read these works as cultural and social texts to uncover the layered meanings, values, and ideologies that they convey.

While Paris—The City of Light and a key hub on our journey—is often celebrated as one of the most beautiful and exciting places in the world, we will also explore what lies beneath its glitter. Through narrative and documentary cinema, we will examine the myths and realities of “colorblindness” in Paris and France, the tensions and complexities of racialization as b/Black in French society, and the nuanced distinctions between “black” (lowercase) and “Black” (uppercase) within a broader cultural and historical context.

Instructor

Keaton

Cross Listed Courses

FILM 42.21

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:INT or SOC; WCult:CI

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