EGL 288 - Film as Fictive Art: American Independent Cinema

Course Units: 1.0

(Not Offered this Academic Year) What exactly does the designation “indie” mean when both filmmakers who disseminate their work online and specialized divisions within Hollywood studios claim this term as their own? In this course we will trace the development of the independent cinema from the late 1960s when first-time directors challenged Hollywood norms to create the New American Cinema, through its heyday the 1990s, into the present era-where many argue it has become thoroughly institutionalized. In examining the enormously flexible characterization “independent” we will draw on of a variety of code systems (cultural, artistic, narrative, cinematic, and intertextual) to analyze the work of such directors as George Romero, Julie Dash, Todd Haynes, Mira Nair, Jim Jarmusch, Spike Lee, and Kelly Reichardt. Prerequisite(s): One 100-level English course, a score of 5 on the AP English Language or Literature and Composition test, or permission of the instructor. CC: HUL, HUM, WAC ISP: AMS, FLM