General Education Requirement (GER)/ Broadening & Deepening Electives (BDE)

 

 

This course follows roughly the history of Chinese cinemas from its early days in the 1930s Shanghai to contemporary transnational and independent productions, with a focus on the auteur films emerging from the 1990s and 2000s. It aims to introduce you not only to some of the most important films made in Chinese but also to the different cultural dynamics and traditions operating in the film industries in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. The course also pays particular attention to the development of film genres such as melodrama and action cinema, as well as the various approaches—ranging from realist to modernist—for cinema to engage social reality. The course is designed for all students interested in Chinese cinemas, no pre-requisites required.

Pre-requisite: Nil | 3 AUs

Drawing from a wide range of historical, literary and cultural texts that make “animal” a common subject matter, this course’s major aim is to offer students from all academic backgrounds and levels a broad and general overview of Chinese history, culture and society through the selected texts about animals in China.

The course will explore the constructions of Chinese culture and society via a range of discourses such as Chinese philosophy and aesthetics; semiotics and representations; adaptations; gender, cultural and political identities; food culture; conservation and tourism studies; environmental and medical histories; as well as animal welfare and environmental humanities. These multidisciplinary approaches will develop your appreciation and critical reflection of Chinese art and culture from various perspectives.

Through the changing relationships between humans and animals, the course also highlights transformations of social and cultural values in recent decades, as reflected in the growing awareness of animal welfare, and social movements against animal injustice in contemporary China. As a result, you will learn the significant roles of animals in our society, as well as the interconnectedness between human beings and animals.  

Prerequisite: Nil | 3 AUs

 

This course offers an introduction to ways of reading and writing on Chinese cinemas. Looking at films produced by Chinese communities in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and other parts of the world, we will examine topics such as new wave cinemas, national, transnational, regional, or Sinophone cinemas, issues related to genre, gender representation, and history. Our discussion will focus on methods of close analysis, basic concepts of film form and style, relationship between cinematic texts and the historical horizon of production and reception, among others.