FAMST 187EF: ESSAY FILM

University of California, Santa Barbara

In this hybrid theory/practice seminar, we analyze the category of films re ferred to as essay films. Described as resisting classification, interrogat ing boundaries between fact and fiction, and transgressing dominant ways of seeing and thinking, essay films draw from and subvert a range of establish ed practices, including nonfiction, narrative, and avant-garde cinema. What is the history of essayistic filmmaking? What does the essayistic mode offe r filmmakers and scholars today? Through readings, screenings, student-led presentations, and exercises, students will gain both a conceptual foundati on and hands-on experience with the essay film. The course culminates in a final independent project.