The course, entitled Documentaries from and about Greater China, examines classic and contemporary documentaries from Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Chinese diaspora as well as some exemplary and important non-fiction films about China made in the West.
Even though centering on Chinese narratives and China’s on screen representation, this course explores the historiographic, philosophical, and political implications of documentary film in a global context.
Students attending the course will gain an introductory knowledge of Chinese history and culture and a deep knowledge of Chinese documentary film and media as well as an overview of non-fiction film history and studies.
The course requirements are as follows: attending ten 2-hour lectures during the third period, reading required course materials and watching required films (most of which are available online), and engaging with the digital media of the course.
The final coursework will be a learning diary or a film analysis essay. Students will agree the mode of presentation with the teacher.
The course lectures start on Tuesday 9 January, and enrolment for the course is now ongoing. Note that students of the ITC faculty will have priority in course admission.
If you are interested, please take a look at the course webpage MT.216 Documentaries from and about Greater China for more information and sign up at Sisu. Enrolment ends on Tuesday 2 January so act quickly! If you have further questions, please email Dr Tatu Laukkanen: tatu.laukkanen@gmail.com.
Note that Dr Laukkanen also teaches yearly online courses on Greater Chinese and Asian fiction films through Asianet (Finnish University Network for Asian Studies). These courses are open to Tampere University students along with a range of other courses on China and Asia. For more on these courses, see the Asianet page.