Greek History Encounters Greek Film, EURO-W405/W605
Tuesday and Thursday 5:45-7:00 PM,
Film Screenings on Monday at 5:45 PM or Arranged
Greek History Encounters Greek Film is an interdisciplinary course
that provides an overview of Modern Greek history while simultaneously
addressing larger questions about the representation of history through the
medium of film. The course will begin with a historical overview that
will introduce you to modern Greece’s fascinating and complex history. We
will focus on a variety of events including the Greek Enlightenment and the national
revolution, the first Kingdom of Greece, the Balkan Wars, modernization, the
Asia Minor Catastrophe, WWII and the Occupation, the Civil War, the Military
Junta of 1967-1974, and membership in the European Union.
As this foundation is put into place, we will begin examining film
representations of these historical events. Initially, our discussion of
these film texts will be focused on questions of historiography and historical
accuracy. From there, we will branch out to examine both the process by
which film texts create an aura of historical authenticity and the way that
film texts function as historically situated events themselves: as events, in
other words, that reflect and shape specific political, social, and
historiographical moments. In the process, we will also address broader
questions, such as the relationship of film to history and the nature of
historical representation.
