LW229 Social Justice Documentaries 3CR

This course will introduce social justice issues as they are represented and explored through documentary film and video. The course provides a conceptual overview of the forms, strategies, structures and conventions of documentary film and video. The class will examine documentaries that construct arguments about the power relations in society, while attempting to raise awareness and motivate action for social justice. Students will consider dominant, experimental and emergent modes of representation; including important documentary texts, movements, filmmakers and selected documentary genres. Specific topics for the course include: Mental & Physical Disabilities, Notions of “Race”, Crime & Punishment, Immigration, War, Gender & Sexual Identity, Environmental Concerns, Social Class & Workers’ Rights, Personal Narratives, Politics, Education, and Counter Cultures. Through this course, students should gain knowledge of the current theoretical dilemmas and debates in documentary filmmaking, including questions of how to define documentaries, what constitutes the ethical treatment of subjects and subject matter, documentary’s construction and positioning of audiences, as well as political and economic constraints on documentary filmmaking. Ultimately, the course will emphasize critical thinking and viewing skills related to representations of the social world through documentaries.

Prerequisites: LW-200

Lecture

Spring