African Cinema: Negotiating Post-Colonial Identities

Only fifty-five years has passed since the first African nation gained its independence from colonial rule. Since then, conflicts between pre-colonial traditions and an increasing Western influence have forced Africans to question their social, cultural, and national identities. In this course, we will study sub-Saharan African films and their relationship to the quest for new identities. Through readings, discussions, and screenings - of both Francophone and Anglophone films -students will give critical thought to representations of postcolonial African lives. 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. screen.