AMU2565 Southeast Asian cinema

What are the defining features of Southeast Asian cinema and what can they tell us about the culture, society and politics within the region? This unit examines the cinema from several Southeast Asian countries through the close analysis of key films, the use of a range of critical approaches, and by situating the cinema within the historical contexts of its production and reception. Here the unit investigates the changing nature of cinema in the region, while also exploring the relationships between films and key moments in Southeast Asian history. The unit examines the region's cinema from a variety of perspectives, taking into account critically acclaimed film movements and directors, many of whom have performed well at film festivals across the world, while also discussing the genres and conventions that make up the region's popular filmmaking traditions.