DMS 213 IMMIGRATION AND FILM

State University of New York at BuffaloDepartment of Media Study

Fall 2010T/R 11-12:50 CFA 232/112

Instructor: Alba JaramilloOffice: CFA 287

Office Hours: 1:20-2:20 Talbajara@buffalo.edu

By looking at representative examples of American and foreign films, this course will critically examine the role of cinema in the construction and exploration of the racial, ethnic, cultural and social aspects of immigration. Initially, we will look at the history of immigration in relation to film industry as well as early portrayals of immigrants. We will come across a wide range of film genres and take a closer look at stylistic and narrative choices and how they visually construct immigrant identity in relation to family, society, race, and gender. Throughout the course we will consider the position of cinema in the debate between assimilation and multiculturalism as well as recent visual narratives that delve on the issues of globalization and its close relationship to immigration.

Course Objectives

Students will become versed in an overview history of immigration in United States and how the patterns, behavior and treatment of immigrants are portrayed in film. Students will learn concrete skills of film analysis regarding how images are constructed to create meaning and how this information permeates history, culture and art within the immigration purview. Students will learn how to support their work with visual and theoretical evidence of critical inquiry relating to immigration. The aim of the course is to provide the student with an opportunity to develop your critical thinking and writing skills through class discussions, close readings of films and critical literature, as well as writing assignments.

Course Texts Texts will be available online in PDF format at the course’s blog. http://dmsimmigrationandfilm.blogspot.com/.

Evaluation

DMS 213 Immigration and Film is a theory-oriented course for which accuracy and mastery are essential. In general grades will be calculated as follows:

Attendance and Participation

o Attendance is mandatory - both physical and mental.   This means that while in class you will work in a diligent and professional manner showing respect to your instructor and your peers.   You are allowed three unexcused absences only.  Any more than three unexcused absences will lower your grade by one letter. You will be responsible for making up all assignments and being briefed on any presentation of material.   Excused absences must be documented in writing and brought to my attention before class.

Chronic tardiness is entirely unacceptable and will be punishable at my discretion

o Participation will be evaluated in several ways. There will be weekly in-class informal discussions where you will be divided into groups of 5 or 6 to discuss a particular aspect of the visual and textual material. You must be an active contributor to these discussions. Come prepared to class by having read the material and have thoughtful input.

o There will also be weekly assignments posted on the course’s blog http://dmsimmigrationandfilm.blogspot.com/where you will respond to a specific question I post or you will ask a question about the assigned texts. Please check the blog often for any updates, news, links and information about the class. Keep in mind that in many instances, in class discussions will be related to your posts, so make sure your posts demonstrate critical observation of the texts and films. You are allowed to miss only 2 of the assigned posts during the whole semester without having your grade suffer.

Troubleshooting: If you are unable to access the website or cannot open a document, please email me with enough anticipation so I can take into account your comments and/or forward you the material.

Midterm: An in-class midterm will evaluate the student on concepts covered during the first half of the semester.

Oral Presentation: You will be divided in groups of 3 or 4 and present for 30-40 minutes (10 minutes each) on the film assigned for that week. You must send me with anticipation (2 hours before class at the latest) an outline of your presentation. All group members must participate equally in the making of the presentation. Although it will be up to you to meet outside of class, I may designate in some cases some class time to coordinate work distribution among the group.

Final Paper: You will complete a 6-8 page final paper on material covered during the second half of the semester (you may also do for example, a comparative analysis on a film screened during the first half of the semester and one screened during the second). I encourage you to look over the material in anticipation and meet with me during office hours to discuss the topic of the paper or email me any questions you might have. You must submit the paper topic by November 30th at the latest and must

have a draft by December 7th, in which you will pair up in class and review each other’s papers. Final paper is due December 14th before 12 pm in my office.

Attendance and Participation: 25%Midterm 25%Oral Presentation 25%Final Paper 25%

Grading Scale in percentages

94-100 A 80-82 B- 69-65 D90-93 A- 77-79 C+ 64-0 F87-89 B+ 73-76 C83-86 B 70-72 C-

Course Policies

NOTE: If you begin to experience inordinate difficulties with the course, or have issues regarding the class that you want to discuss, please see the instructor as soon as possible. If notifying the instructor does not seem appropriate, seek assistance from the Academic Advisor for the Department of Media Study. If you wait until the end of the semester, the possibilities of being helped are less promising.

General:

Students who require special accommodations because of a diagnosed disability should bring relevant documentation to the instructor and/or to the Chair, who will oversee arrangements with assistance from the Office of Disabilities.

Student athletes must provide an official letter with the dates of their meets and travel days during the first weeks of classes. Make up quizzes and exams that fall during those days must be rescheduled with the instructor at least 3 days before departure. As a rule of thumb, we will administer make-ups and move work deadlines to the day before the student leaves town.

Students are expected to turn off and put away cell phones, pagers, iPods, CD players and computers before entering class.

Students are not permitted to enter the classroom with any type of food. Please eat before or after class.

Students are expected to follow the guidelines for appropriate behavior outlined in the University Catalog. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.

If you need to depart early, do so quietly after having cleared it with your instructor at the beginning of the class session.

The grade of incomplete will be given only to students who have some serious, well-documented medical condition or in cases of family tragedy, etc. and who have satisfied the attendance policy and are missing only one major assignment. No incomplete will be given to substitute for a poor or failing grade or for any other reasons. A written agreement must be drafted and signed by the instructor and the student. The instructor reserves the right to request completion of the incomplete prior to the 12 months set by the University.

Final grades are final. Once grades are submitted, they will not be changed. Thus, students should refrain from cajoling instructors (via email, phone, in person, etc.) into changing the final grade, which goes against University policy.

Class work:

Students are expected to do their own work on all assignments and course work.

Academic dishonesty will result in a grade of F and disciplinary actions by the university. Examples of academic dishonesty are: copying the work from the internet or a book, having someone else do the work for you, or copying during an exam or quiz.

Be prepared for class each day by having done the assigned readings, etc.

Homework will be assigned during each class by the instructor.

It is the student’s responsibility to bring any questions on the homework to the attention of the instructor.

Homework will be turned in to the instructor on the designated date.

Each student will be required to meet with the instructor for a progress report before the end of the resignation period. Students who are failing the course will be encouraged to resign the course before the deadline designated by the university.

RE: STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

If you have a disability (physical or learning) which may make it difficult for you to carry out the course work as outlined, and/or requires accommodations such as recruiting note takers, readers, or extended time on exams and assignments, please contact the Office of Disability Services, 25 Capen Hall, 716-645-2608, http://www.student-affairs.buffalo.edu/ods/ , and also your instructor during the first two weeks of class. ODS will provide you with information and will review appropriate arrangements for reasonable accommodations.

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RE: PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is theft and a betrayal of trust. The term is derived from the Latin word for kidnapper and refers to the act of signing one’s own name to words, phrases, or ideas which are the literary property of another. Plagiarism comes in many forms, all to be avoided: outright copying, or paraphrase, or a mosaic or disguised use of words and phrases from an unacknowledged source. To avoid plagiarism, make it your habit to put quotation marks around words and phrases, or to isolate and indent longer passages that you are using from someone else’s writing. And be sure to cite the source, in a footnote or endnote or within parentheses in your text. The penalties for plagiarism can be severe: from an F for the particular assignment, to an F for the course, to referral of the case to the Dean of Education for administrative judgment. If you are unsure about how to use and document sources, please consult with your instructor. PLAGIARISM ALSO INCLUDES THE UNAUTHORIZED USE OF VIDEO / AUDIO / DIGITAL IMAGES OF OTHERS! FOR THIS CLASS, YOU MUST PRODUCE ORIGINAL MATERIAL!

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RE: WEAPONS AS PROPS

WARNING!!!

IF you are planning a student production which involves using any prop which could be interpreted to be a weapon [toy gun, BB gun, knife, etc.]AND you are planning to shoot on the UB campus or any other public place,you MUST obtain WRITTEN permission from the University Police or the equivalent authority before you shoot.If you do not, you will face serious problems, including possible expulsion from the University.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

RE: SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual Harassment of employees and students, as defined at http://undergrad-catalog.buffalo.edu/policies/conduct/nondiscrimination.shtml , is contrary to University policy and is a violation of federal and state laws and regulations.

WEEK 1

Tuesday August 31 st

Introduction/ Overview Screen Alex Rivera’s Sleep DealerHomework: Read Carlos E. Cortés “Them and Us: Immigration as Societal

Barometer and Social Educator in American Film” Email top 3 choices of films for oral presentation

Thursday September 2 nd Discuss CortesScreen The ImmigrantNarrative sequences and film form, explain format of oral presentation.Homework: Daniel Sembroff Golden’s “The Fate of La Famiglia: Italian Images in

American Film” and Carlos E. Cortés’ “Italian-Americans in Film: From Immigrants to Icons

WEEK 2

Tuesday September 7 th Screen Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather II/ Discussion of Sembroff and Cortes.Thursday September 9 th - No Classes (Rosh Hashanah)

WEEK 3

Tuesday September 14 th - Screen Ang Lee’s The Wedding BanquetHomework: Read Jun Xin’s “Cinematic Asian Representation” and “The Family

Dramas”

Thursday September 16 th - Oral Presentation, group 1Discuss Jun Xing______________________________________________________________________

WEEK 4

Tuesday September 21 st - Screen Jim Jarmusch’s Stranger than ParadiseHomework: Read Alan William’s Intro to Film and Nationalism

Thursday September 23 rd - Oral Presentation, group 2Discuss Williams

WEEK 5

Tuesday September 28 th Screen Alan Crosland’s The Jazz SingerHomework: Read Michael Rogin’s “Blackface, Whitenoise: The Jewish Jazz Singer Finds his Voice” from Blackface, White Noise: Jewish Immigrants in the Hollywood Melting Pot.

Thursday September 30 Oral Presentation, group 3Discuss Rogin

WEEK 6

Tuesday October 5 th Screen Martin Scorcese’s Gangs of New YorkHomework: Read Robert Burgoyne’s “The Ethnic Construction of Nation in Gangs of New York” from Film Nation: Hollywood Looks at U.S. History or Homi Bhabha’s “DissemNation: Time, Narrative and the Margins of the Modern Nation” in Location of Culture. (TBA)

Thursday October 7 th Finish screening Gangs of New YorkOral Presentation, group 4Discuss Burgoyne or Bhabha

WEEK 7

Tuesday October 12 th

Review for MidtermSession with Humanities Librarian, discussion for final paper

Thursday October 14 th Midterm

WEEK 8

Tuesday October 19 th

Screen Spike Lee’s Do the Right ThingHomework: Read Ella Shohat and Robert Stamm’s “Stereotype, Realism and the Struggle over Representation” and Bell Hook’s “Counter Hegemonic Art”

Thursday October 21 Oral Presentation, group 5Discuss Shohat & Stamm and Hooks

WEEK 9

Tuesday October 26 th Screen Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Ali Fear Eats the SoulHomework: Read Judith Mayne’s “ Fassbinder and Spectatorship”

Thursday October 28Oral Presentation, group 6Discuss Mayne

WEEK 10

Tuesday November 2 nd Screen God Grew Tired of UsHomework: Read Edward Said’s “Reflexions on Exile” and T. Minh-Ha Trinh’s "Documentary Is/Not a Name." October, Vol. 52. (Spring, 1990), 76-98

Thursday November 4Oral Presentation, group 7Discuss Said and Minh-Ha

WEEK 11

Tuesday November 9 th Screen Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Sartrapi’s PersepolisHomework: Read Hamid Naficy. Article TBA

Thursday November 11 th Oral Presentation group 8Discuss Naficy

WEEK 12

Tuesday November 16 th

Screen Mira Nair’s Mississippi MasalaHomework: Read Binita Mehta’s “Emigrants Displaced Twice: Race, Color and Identity in Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala” and Salman Rushdie’s “Imaginary Homelands”

Thursday November 18Oral Presentation, group 9Discuss Mehta and Rushdie

WEEK 13

Tuesday November 23Screen Michael Haneke’s Code InconnuHomework: Read Samir Dayal’s Diaspora and Double Consciousness

Thursday November 25 th – No Class (Fall Recess)

WEEK 14

Tuesday November 30 th Oral Presentation, group 10Discuss Dayal

Thursday December 2 nd Screen Gregory Nava’s El NorteHomework: Read Camilla Foja’s “Urban Frontiers; Border Cinema and The Global City” from Border Bandits: Hollywood on the Southern Frontier

WEEK 15

Tuesday December 7 th - Finish screening El NorteDiscuss FojasPair up and discuss drafts of final paper.

Thursday December 9 th - ConclusionFill out teaching evaluations

State University of New York at BuffaloDepartment of Media Study

I have read the DMS _________________ syllabus and I am aware of the program’s requirements and policies including the attendance policy. I understand that I should keep the syllabus and course policies for my records.

Date:_________________________

Semester:______________________

Print name:________________________________________________

Signature:__________________________________________________

Student person number:_____________________________