Description

In this course, we will explore how some of the key historical moments in Italy’s last one-and-a-half centuries have been represented on film — from the unification of Italy in the mid-19th century to the two World Wars and the present day, with its combination of complex economic challenges and Italy’s search for a new national raison d’être. Each one of our five monthly meetings will combine a brief lecture on a particular moment in the Italian history with an engaging discussion on the film assigned for that day. The films are all available for streaming online, either at no charge or for a small fee (for example, on YouTube or Amazon Prime), or as part of a regular subscription (on Criterion Channel or Netflix). We will not watch these films together; instead, we ask that you see them at home, before coming to the class meeting for which they have been assigned. For anyone interested in further pursuing the topics discussed in class, your instructor will happy to recommend optional readings or films. No academic background in Italian history or knowledge of Italian is required to take this course. Note: Class meets every 4 weeks on 2/25, 3/25, 4/22 and 5/20. The original, first class session on January 28 was cancelled and the price of the class was adjusted.