SP 399U-X02 (CRN 63304): FILM STUDIES III
DOCUMENTARY & AVANT GARDE FILM (4 Cr)
Spring Term, 2004

Brooke Jacobson, Ph.D.

Office Room 23c NH; Ph. 725-5379
cgbj@pdx.edu

SYLLABUS

COURSE DESCRIPTION: We will survey a wide variety of non-fiction and experimental films and videos, including both old and newer works, to see how the ethics and aesthetics of documentary discourse have changed over time. Our goal is to become aware of the diversity of non-fiction films and to develop critical skills in identifying the different modes and strategies of documentary expression and considering how these relate to issues of persuasion, preservation, interrogation and interpretation of reality.

BASIS FOR GRADING: Films viewed in class constitute a required text, thus your attendance is essential. Missing more than two classes will result in loss of 1/3 of a grade point. You will be responsible for a journal - 35%, a mid-term exam - 25%; a final essay - 25%; Participation. 15%.

REQUIRED READING: Bill Nichols, Introduction to Documentary Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2001. Additional reading will be available through the reserve library on line service.

REQUIRED VIEWING: If you miss a class you are responsible for viewing the film on your own. Some will be available on reserve for viewing in the library, others you will need to rent (if you can locate a source). Please be aware that many of these films are not available commercially to rent, so it is better not to miss classes.

TOPIC OUTLINE:

Please be aware that this syllabus is subject to change

In General

All written assignments must be typed using a standardfont, double-spaced, 1" margins on all sides, and pages numbered. Be sure to proof-read (I recommend reading aloudto yourself or a friend), and edit for grammar, spelling, and typographical errors. A single white cover sheet (nobinders please, no computer art) should carry your name, title of the paper, class title, number, term, and instructor.

Journal Guidelines: The journal will be turned in threetimes during the term. Your journal is both a place for your reflections on the films, and a place to consider and to applythe concepts introduced in lectures and readings. You will have a brief periodin class to free-write after the film and before discussion.

In Each JournalEntry you should clearly identify the film you are discussing - title,director, year of release. Briefly(in a sentence or two) summarize the film - its concept, subject matter, or approach used by the filmmaker ( DO NOT DESCRIBE THE ENTIRE FILM). Discuss your own response to the film (i.e., Howdoes it alter or expand your understanding of the subject matter? How does the filmmaker approach his/her subject? What ideas are developed by the film?How does the form of the film relate to its content?) Please select, type, edit, and proofread what you turn in to me

Mid-term: This is a take-home essay exam based on the readings and films seen in class. If you have kept up with the readings and discussions you should have no problem. Late mid-terms will not beaccepted.

FINAL ESSAY (5-6 pages plus references): For this assignment you must view a documentary outside of class. Your paper will discuss in critical essayform how the film uses the different modes of documentary expression we have studied. NOTE: You must propose a topic by mid-term. (1) Why did you choose the film?What kind of documentary is it? Make clear your thesis (i.e., in one sentence make a clear statement about the film. What will your paper show your reader? An outline and bibliography is due 5/18, with your third journal. The final paper is due June 1.

Grading criteria: "A": Superior understanding of course content and a superior writing style thatintegrates ideas related to content. "B": Exceedsrequirements, shows superior understanding of course content, and an effective writing style. "C": Satisfies minimum requirements, and iscompetently written in correct English with a logical flow of ideas. (Do notcount on your computer to proof-read or spell check for you)."D"(orless): Your paper may contain too many grammatical or spelling errors, oryou have otherwise failed to satisfy the minimum requirements

Thefollowing readings are available via e-Reserve:

Stella Bruzzi, "The event,Archive and newsreel" from, NewDocumentary: a Critical Introduction, Routledge: London, New York, 2000(11-19)

Bunuel on Bunuel in An Unspeakable Betrayal JeanClaudeCarriere(Ed) UC Press Berkeley, LA, London 1995 (217-225

VirginiaHigginbotham, Luis Buñuel,Twayne Publlishers, N.Y.1979 (48-55)

Scott McDonald. "Su Friedrich: Reappropriations" Film Quarterly XLI:2 (41:2) Winter, 1987-88(34-43)

Vivian Sobchack, "NoLies: Direct Cinema as Rape "Journal of the University Film Assn. 29:1Fall, 1977 (13-18).

Patricia Zimmermann "Pirates of the New World Image Orders" in States of Emergency: Documentaries, Wars,Democracies. University of Minnesota Press Minneapolis. 2000 (154-197 + notes 212-216)