and the Surrealist Legacy
An Interdisciplinary Film Course
Taught by
Sebastiaan
Faber (Hispanic Studies)
404
Peters, x58189
sebastiaan.faber@oberlin.edu
Office
hours: Monday and Thursday,
This
class will be taught by an interdisciplinary group of Oberlin faculty from
Cinema Studies, Hispanic Studies, French, and Art History. The instructor in
charge of the class is Prof. Faber, who will also be responsible for all of the
grading.
This
course offers an overview and analysis of the cinematic work of Spanish
director Luis Buñuel (1900-1983) and his French son, director and Oberlin
alumnus (’57) Juan Luis Buñuel (1934-), in the context
of transnational or exilic cinema and the legacy of the surrealist movement.
Class meeting times (both in
Science Center A155):
·
Tuesday 7-10: intro, screening, and short discussion
·
Thursday
On
Blackboard: <bb.oberlin.edu>, Span345.
See this page, among other things, for announcements, external web links,
reserve items, ERES items, filmographies and bibliographies. Email and Blackboard will be the preferred medium
for announcements, questions, and assignments; students are expected to check
their mail every day.
On
Tuesday nights (
In
the week after Spring break, Juan Luis Buñuel will be visiting campus to speak
about his own and his father’s work, and to screen some of his own films. He
will talk to the class on Thursday April 8th; and there will be
screenings and/or a lecture by Mr Buñuel on Thursday and Friday night. On the
afternoon of Saturday April 10th there will be a colloquium with two
additional invited speakers. Students enrolled in the class are expected to
attend all of these events.
All students will be assigned a
discussion group that is expected to meet at least once a week, starting in the
second week of classes, at a time and place of your convenience (ruled by the
Honor Code).
For most classes you will be
assigned a number of questions on which to base a response paper, to be
typewritten and handed in. In those reponse papers that refer to one of the
screenings, it is essential that you include concrete references to the films. To be able to do this, it is
highly recommended that you take notes during the screening and keep a
personal “screening diary”. (If
needed, pens with a small flash lights that enable you to write in the dark are
available for sale at the bookstore.)
Other course requirements:
·
Attendance at all screenings and discussion sessions
·
Participation in assigned discussion groups
·
Attendance at all of the events scheduled for April
8-10: J.L. Buñuel’s visit to the class (during regular class meeting time); his
talks and screenings (scheduled for Thursday night and Friday afternoon/night);
and a colloquium on Saturday April 10.
·
Response papers
·
A 5-page midterm paper and a 10-page final paper. For
the final paper you will need to see, and include references to, at least two
other films by one of the Buñuels that have not been screened as part of the
course.
·
The following four titles are required and available
at the book store:
q
Buñuel, Luis. My
Last Sigh. U of
q
Buñuel, Luis. Unspeakable
Betrayal: Selected Writings of Luis Buñuel. U of
q
Evans, Peter William. The Films of Luis Buñuel: Subjectivity and Desire.
q
Edwards, Gwynne. The Discreet Art of Luis
Bunuel: A
·
Additional readings, both obligatory and optional,
will be made available through ERES, which can be accessed through Blackboard
or at <eres.cc.oberlin.edu>.
·
A number of additional books, as well as most of Luis
Buñuel’s films, will be placed on reserve.
Evans includes an extensive bibliography
at the end of his book; additional bibliographies are available on Blackboard
and Eres. See External Links on Blackboard, also for interviews, online
exhibits, and many other interesting materials.