CH3101 European Cinema: A Reflection on European Identity

Europe at the end of the 20th century is marked by a tension between two opposing movements: unification and fragmentation. The creation of the European Union in 1992 was accompanied by the ?Balkanization? of East-Central Europe, which resulted from the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resurgence of old national and ethnic antagonisms that had been suppressed during the Cold War. At the same time, national boundaries were also being redrawn by capitalism, which forged an increasingly complex network of global connections in finance, trade, manufacturing, transport, and communications.

Throughout these major changes redefining the role and even the composition of Europe in the 21st century, cinema remains a significant force in the construction and expression of cultural identity. Cinema powerfully portrays its nation and provides profound insights into the heart of its people.

This course on European Cinema, with a broad geographic sweep, offers students an understanding of European culture, society, politics and history through the medium of cinematographic expressions. The aim of this course is to understand European identity through its cinema and make the students aware that despite its economic unity, Europe is characterized by its cultural, social, political and historical heterogeneity.