Courses

Summer Abroad 2009


For more information about the logistics of these programs, please visit the main UCD Summer Abroad Program website: summer-abroad.ucdavis.edu


Trinidad & Tobago - Port of Spain
Documentary Filmmaking in the Caribbean
June 28 - July 28, 2009
African American and African Studies (AAS) 168 & 198 (8 Units)

This hands-on class focuses on the art of documentary production. Students will learn how to write and produce documentary films. Documentaries are often seen as objective and reality. By analyzing both independent and mainstream documentaries, this class will ask students to reconsider these long held beliefs. Students will learn about different modes, styles, and types of documentary filmmaking. With this knowledge of documentary's narrative and creative potential, students will then work in groups to propose, shoot and edit short films based on local social and environmental issues as well as cultural events.

Instructor: Christine Acham, Associate Professor of African and African American Studies (acham@ucdavis.edu)

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Germany and Switzerland (Berlin & Locarno)
World Cinema and European Film Festival
August 1 - August 31, 2009
Film Studies (FMS)/ German (GER) 142 & 198 (8 units)

Based in Berlin, one of Europe's most exciting cities, this program examines contemporary cinema by considering the role of film festivals in producing and distributing films around the world. The highlight of our time will be a field trip to the Locarno Film Festival, set in the lovely lake region of southern Switzerland/northern Italy (near Lake Como). Perched between Cannes (in the spring) and Venice (in the fall), Locarno's is the most important festival of the summer. The topography of the course reflects its focus: while Berlin is home to one of Europe's biggest and most important movie studios, the class will consider the relationship between conventional national filmmaking and the transnational film festival. We will examine a series of contemporary film makers whose reputations were established at film festivals, including Pedro Almodovar (Talk to Her), Michael Haneke (Funny Games), Wong Kar Wai (In the Mood for Love) and Lars von Trier (Dogville).

Instructor: Jaimey Fisher, Associate Professor of German (jrfisher@ucdavis.edu)

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