Analysis of Course Film

Description

You will be asked to develop a brief analysis of one of the films on the course syllabus, considering some aspect of its representational politics and potential social relevance. This analysis should offer a clear, defensible argument about how the documentary in question represents a particular social issue and why this matters, and it should support this argument by drawing meaningfully on relevant scholarly materials and on careful analysis of the details of the film itself. In particular, you are expected to make substantive use of at least ONE-TWO scholarly readings to inform and support your argument. These sources may be required/recommended course readings or relevant scholarly sources you locate on your own, and they should be applied in ways that help you interpret the film you’ve selected and/or support your reading of that film and its implications. As noted above, you also need to ensure that you’re noting and engaging with specific features of the film itself (offering examples of how it is constructed, considering the effects/functions of those choices, and indicating how they, in combination with the scholarly materials, support your broader argument).   Ideally, you would NOT choose to write about a film we have already discussed in class (i.e., you would select one of the films on the syllabus for Weeks 9-13). If you do choose to discuss one of the films from Weeks 1-8, though, you should take care to ensure that your analysis does not simply repeat our class discussion of the text. All analyses should demonstrate originality, and showcase your own analytical abilities.   This analysis can be submitted either as a brief essay (~1200-1500 words) OR as a podcast (~6-8 minutes in length). In either case, the requirements are the same (an original, insightful, and well-supported argument about some aspect of the film and its social implications, articulated clearly and persuasively).