Biography

French and Francophone cinema, art, literature and history of the 20th century

Advanced Topics in French is a deep dive into French cinema, an important new form of art and technology that flourished in the 20th century. We will explore the connections and interplay of French language films with other artists, musicians and writers of that time. For example, we will learn about the Surrealist and Dadaist movements of the 1920’s and their impact on art, politics and society. We will watch films from the French New Wave movement that began in the 1950s and learn how directors like Truffaut and Godard completely transformed filmmaking and storytelling through their experimental visual and narrative style.

Teachers from other disciplines will come to share their expertise on history, art history, and music. Through an interdisciplinary approach, we will explore how French identity evolved throughout the century taking into account the colonial wars, the women’s movement, immigration, the student and worker revolts of 1968, and other social disruptions in French society. By immersing ourselves in a wide array of artistic forms from this period of time, we will come to understand the influence French art and culture has had in shaping the western world.