Topics explore themes and problems in the various fields of Near Eastern studies. They often reflect the research interests of the instructor and supplement regular curricular offerings. Specific descriptions of current offerings in this series are available through the department.

This course offers an introduction to the history of Arab cinema within the framework of film studies and communication theory. The course is organized around key themes such as desire under authoritarian rule, presence and absence in the colony, revolution though the looking glass, diasporic approaches to space, taboo memories, the borders of utopia/dystopia, the debt of a refugee, sci-fi and fantasy, authenticity and the limits of representation. Within a comparative framework, the course will consider these issues through a variety of filmic and theoretic texts including essays, critical articles, documentaries, fiction films, shorts and more. Films include: The Dupes, A Flood in Baath Country, The Time That Remains.

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