Course Offerings by term

Surveys the history of urban form in the predominantly Muslim cities of the Middle East and North Africa. Students will study the relationship between urban morphology and society, practices of sacred space, and the interplay of power, belief, and architectural form. Also covered are the politics behind the forms now seen as the defining features of Islamic building and the question of the image in Islamic building. On a contemporary note, students will explore the symbolic politics of the Muslim built heritage and examine the extreme conditions facing many Middle Eastern urban populations today. Includes a Study Trip. Please note that an additional fee will be charged for this course.

Students begin with an analysis of basic elements of film language (signs, codes, syntax). They study the technology, economics and politics of the film industry as it has developed in the United States and Europe. In the latter half of the course they will investigate the impact of television, video, computers and digital media in the history of cinema.

In Art of Screenwriting students consider the elements necessary for successful screenwriting practices, with close attention to the theory of screenwriting as influenced by other arts. In particular, a close emphasis of the course is on the art of narrative and the central role played by adaptation of novels in screenwriting practice. Character development, structure, dialogue and conflict are analyzed through exemplary scripting such as in the works of Jane Campion, Roman Polanski and others. The course culminates in a hands-on guided approach to scriptwriting by students.

This course explores the cinema of Agnès Varda, one of the world’s great filmmakers. To study Varda’s work over is to engage important cinematic questions around politics, marginality and community while also engaging critical shifts in form. The course additionally sharpens skills in close analysis, critical review, writing, curatorial and presentational skills in film studies.