Eastern European Cinema: War, Love, and Revolutions

This class is a survey of Eastern European cinema from the 1960s until the present day. We will look at films and directors from Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, East Germany, Russia, and former Yugoslavia. Despite the state control, the filmmakers of Communist Europe were often more bold, honest and provocative than their profit-driven Hollywood counterparts. By drawing on political and cultural discourses, the course will offer pointed analyses of most significant East European films that touch upon issues of ethnicity, gender, cultural identity, and overcoming censorship. Screened with English subtitles.