GLOBAL AND MINOR CINEMAS

Course objectives

Watching, commenting and analyzing films and documentaries produced and distributed through transnational and/or independent channels, students will gain the capacity to investigate independent, indigenous and diasporic filmmaking practices; the necessary analytic skills to challenge traditionally held categories which confine films in linguistically and/or territorially clustered areas; the competence to read old and new films through innovative critical theories in the fields of film and media studies. In particular, students will familiarize themselves with visual cultures and filmmaking practices within and across different cultures, in order to develop a nuanced aesthetic sensibility to new ways of making films and challenging representations by hegemonic media and mainstream film industries. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: In compliance with the 5 Dublin descriptors, the course in Global and Minor Cinemas aims to: 1. Knowledge and understanding: to provide students with conceptual and methodological tools related to the history of cinema in a trasnational and global perspective, with a strong focus on the innovative theories developed by Film Studies. 2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding. The course will be aimed at improving students' ability to apply knowledge and understanding regarding cinematic cultures in a transnational and transcultural perspective, enhancing their capacity to understand and interpret visual cultures and global and minor cinemas in their historical trajectories. 3. Making judgments. The course will include activities specifically designed to refine students' autonomy of judgment on the topics dealt with, such as cineforums, in-depth discussions and participatory workshops. 4. Communication skills. The course will strive to improve students' communication skills through oral presentations, participatory workshops and short written essays. 5. Learning skills. The course will be delivered paying attention to develop in students the skills necessary to undertake subsequent studies with a high degree of autonomy.

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MARA MATTA Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
The course Global and Minor Cinemas: War and Love investigates how cinema represents war, conflict, and the emotional dimensions of human experience in times of crisis. Through a selection of films from different cultural and geopolitical contexts — especially from Global South cinemas — the course examines how experiences of violence and loss intersect with resilience, hope, and love. Starting from the concept of the “politics of emotions,” the course explores how cinema translates historical, social, and cultural conflicts into affective experiences. It will consider a variety of forms of conflict — wars, revolts and revolutions, interethnic and interfaith tensions, intergenerational and gender conflicts — and their cinematic narration through emotion, intimacy, and subjectivity. Particular attention is given to films that offer an intimate gaze on historical events, depicting love, fear, hope, and hatred as intertwined emotional and political forces. Students will explore how emotions function as a universal cinematic language capable of transforming war stories into narratives of empathy, resistance, and care.
Prerequisites
No prerequisite is requested for attending the course or taking the exam. However, a basic familiarity with key theoretical approaches to film and visual culture may be helpful for a deeper understanding of the materials discussed.
Books
Students are required to study the following texts and films for the written exam. Additional readings may be assigned during the semester. Required Readings: - Hayden White, “The Question of Narrative in Contemporary Historical Theory,” History and Theory, 1988. - Robert Rosenstone, History on Film / Film on History, Routledge, 1988. - Carlo Ginzburg, “Microhistory: Two or Three Things That I Know About It,” Critical Inquiry, 1993. - Trinh T. Minh-ha, When the Moon Waxes Red, Routledge, 1991. - Paul Ricoeur, Time and Narrative, Vol. I, University of Chicago Press, 1985. - Lucia Nagib, World Cinema and the Ethics of Realism, Bloomsbury, 2016. - María De Luz, Affect and Resistance in Global Cinemas, Routledge, 2021. - Sandrine Sanos, The Aesthetics of Hate, Stanford UP, 2016. - Mara Matta, Minor Cinemas from South Asia, SUE Edizioni, Rome, 2025. Required Filmography: Unit 1 – Cinema, History, and Conflict - Hiroshima mon amour – Alain Resnais, France/Japan, 1959 - The Battle of Algiers – Gillo Pontecorvo, Italy/Algeria, 1966 - Dreaming Lhasa – Tenzing Sonam & Ritu Sarin, India/Tibet, 2004 - Hannah Arendt – Margarethe von Trotta, Germany, 2012 Unit 2 – Bodies, Emotions, and Gender Politics in Conflict - Meherjaan – Rubaiyat Hossain, Bangladesh, 2011 - Under Construction – Rubaiyat Hossain, Bangladesh, 2015 - Without You Without You – Prasanna Vithanage, Sri Lanka, 2002 - Lan Yu – Stanley Kwan, Hong Kong/China, 2001 - The Wedding Song – Karin Albou, Tunisia/France, 2008 - Osama – Siddiq Barmak, Afghanistan, 2003 - The Life of Others – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Germany, 2006
Frequency
Attendance is not compulsory but highly recommended. Active participation will improve understanding of the films and theoretical frameworks discussed in class. Moreover, often we have invite filmmakers or students-directors who present their films.
Exam mode
The exam is a written test with open-ended questions (no multiple choice). Up to 8 questions are given; students must answer at least 3 in-depth. Questions address films, authors, and directors from various regions, focusing on Global South cinemas. Film analysis must integrate the proper theoretical framework. Simple description is insufficient — answers must be analytical and theory-informed.
Lesson mode
The course alternates more traditional lectures — focused on film history and critical analysis — with participatory and workshop-style sessions. Students will watch and discuss films in class, exploring the themes and issues that emerge from both the films and the assigned readings.
  • Lesson code10595604
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseGlobal Humanities
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year1st year
  • Semester2nd semester
  • SSDL-ART/06
  • CFU6