----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I will be teaching a new course next fall entitled "World Cinema Survey." It's a sophomore-level class that fulfills a university core distribution requirement, meaning: 1) it's going to be reasonably large (@125 students), and 2) it will be top-heavy with non-film majors. While I will cover some basic material dealing with film grammar and film history, I am more interested in making the course as immediately relevant as possible, and especially for those students who've never taken a film course before (and may never take another one). For instance: using Luna Park or Taxi Blues as a springboard for discussion of the legacy of Soviet film *and* of the post-Soviet era in general; Spices/Mirch Masala to talk about Indian middle cinema *and* the place of women in a post-colonial society; Samsara as a (somewhat anomalous) example of Fifth Generation filmmaking *and* a symptomatic reading of PRC economic and political reform; etc., etc. That is, I'm more inclined to do this as entry-level cultural studies/political economy. I've had a good deal of success over the last several years with this approach in courses on "Third World" film and Chinese film; these, however, were pitched at upper-division undergraduate and graduate students. So: While I've been pondering and digging around myself, I'd also be very interested in the suggestions of Screen-L subscribers regarding appropriate lower-division undergraduate texts and/or readings, assignments, tests, useful movies, and anything else that occurs to you. Syllabi that overlap this subject matter and approach would be most welcome. Thanks in advance for your help. Steve Fore Dept. of RTVF U. of North Texas PO Box 13108 Denton TX 76203-6108 USA (817) 565-2565 fax (817) 565-2518 [log in to unmask]