51³ÉÈËÁÔÆæ

Course Description

Summary

In Italian culture, as it happens for every culture, the idea of travel is deeply connected to the country's social and historical contexts, and to the questioning of personal identity. In this respect, travel becomes a mirror for the traveler. In the case of Italian narratives, is the mirror sending back surprising images, disclosing secrets, or repeating stereotypes? Focusing on cultural and personal identity, this course will explore contemporary Italian travel narratives in film. We will look at very different travels whose points of departure are often rooted in the intricacies of Italian regional and local specificities (films as different as Caro Diario, Pane e Tulipani, Il ladro di bambini, and Nirvana). The films range from the eighties to the new millennium. Through class discussion in the form of debates, students will further improve their ability to express abstract thought in Italian. Writing skills will be developed through weekly analytical short assignments that will mark the transition from simple paragraph level discourse to the production of more complex/complete texts. A final project will cap the work done during the term. This class meets twice a week; however, students will be required to watch Italian films outside of class regularly. Conducted in Italian. Intermediate level. Corequisites: Attending two events of the Language Series