EWL 323 Beyond Nollywood: West African Cinema from 1960-present
In this course, students will study the history of West African cinema from 1960-present. Students will interpret and analyze the language of cinema to develop form-meaning connections and to situate films in broader geopolitical, sociocultural, economic, and aesthetic frameworks. Key themes include: colonialism and its lasting legacy; languages and identities; gender and sexuality; social classes and wealth disparity; and cinema and/as social activism. Through their engagements with cinema throughout history, students will consider how networks of finance and distribution influence not only which films that get made but also determine which audiences have access to West African cinema. Filmmakers may include: Ousmane Sembene, Djibril Diop Mambety, Safi Faye, Fanta Regina Nacro, Moussa Sene Absa, and Aberrahmane Sissako.