Palestinian Literature and Cinema

Students will become familiar with major Palestinian authors and filmmakers, including Mahmoud Darwish and Emile Habibi, as well as Hany Abu Assad and Elia Suleiman. They will gain insight into the life of Palestinians through their eyes. We will ask what unifies a body of literature and cultural output that has been produced not only in Arabic, but also in Hebrew and English, by authors and filmmakers who carry a variety of citizenships (or none at all). We will address the influence of politics on art and the effectiveness of art as a political tool. The course is taught in English.