Bulletin Board by AUBREY TANG

Andrzej Wajda

autang — 2025-09-02 00:20:27 UTC

On Thursday, September 4at 7PM, there will be a discussion panel at Emerson College Los Angeles that will open the Andrzej Wajda Retrospective at the nearby American Cinematheque. The event will begin with a presentation on Andrzej Wajda and the historical and cultural background of his work – from his childhood during World War II and his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, through the years of the Polish Film School, the cinema of the 1960s and 1970s, the political transformation of 1989, to the contemporary period, his Honorary Oscar, and the founding of the Wajda School.

The panelists will be: Katarzyna Ślesicka, Deputy Director of Wajda Film Centre in Poland, Grzegorz Skorupski, Wajda Film Centre / film producer and Artur Zaborski, Vice-Rector of the Warsaw Film School.

The discussion will also focus on Wajda’s protagonists. Using characters as examples, panel participants will explore Wajda’s ideals, his ways of circumventing censorship, and his courage in asking difficult questions.

Emerson College Los Angeles Campus

5960 W Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90028

September 4at 7pm

Reception to Follow

Free parking in ground level lot off of Gordon St. or street parking.

To RSVP for the Sep. 4th event at Emerson College, please email james_lane@emerson.edu.

Some Iranian realist cinema if you are interested

autang — 2025-09-05 08:39:40 UTC

I would start with Majid Majidi and Abbas Kiarostami. If you notice, many war trauma movies employ a child's perspective, for instance, Persepolis. Shortly after that you will see another example (Pan's Labyrinth). Here are some examples of Iranian movies I'd recommend. Basically it's really difficult not to think about the Islamic Revolution regardless of the setting of a movie. Hopefully this places Persepolis in context.

Children of Heaven (1997)
The Color of Paradise (1999)
Turtles Can Fly (2004)
The Willow Tree (2005)
The Song of Sparrows (2008)(Very beautiful film. I may show you some clips in class.)
About Elly (2009)
A Separation (2011)
Taste of Cherry (1997)(So sad but if you want to study low-dialogue work, watch it.)

Ramen Western

autang — 2025-09-14 08:42:24 UTC

Here’s another take on the Western genre. Can you identify how many conventions are present? Tampopo is a really enjoyable film (warning: nudity)! “Ramen Western” is used to describe a subgenre of Japanese cinema that takes inspiration from traditional Westerns but infuses them with unique cultural elements and humor. Tampopo was the first film that made Juzo Itami known among the international audience. It's quirky, absurd, but also hilarious. Watch it if you like something like Delicatessen or The Grand Budapest Hotel. Pre-req: you need a taste for the eccentric and a sense of humor to enjoy it.

FS Minor Applications due Oct. 1 - please announce to your students

autang — 2025-09-25 01:23:49 UTC

I wanted to invite you all who may be students new to film and media studies in your FTV 140, FS 244, and/or TWP 246 classes that the application for the Dodge Film and Media Studies Minor is due Oct. 1. If there are students in these classes who are enjoying the analysis and critical viewings that our program is comprised of, we would welcome their application!

There is no direct application page for just the minor, but this link below will direct them to the change of program webpage and similar to our login, by clicking the “Launch Application” button on the Change of Program webpage it will bring them to the application. They can then make a new application and use the dropdown menu to select which minor they want to apply for. In this case it would be FMSMIN.

If students have questions, they can email me the FMS program coordinator or make an office hour appointment at carman@chapman.edu

Thank you so much!

Recommended additional WKW screenings

autang — 2025-10-02 21:23:53 UTC

Recommended additional Spike Lee screenings

autang — 2025-10-02 21:31:36 UTC

I'm especially drawn to the striking visuals Spike Lee crafts. His cinematography stands out in films like:

Malcolm X (1992)(contrasts)
25th Hour (2002)(beautiful dolly shot)(I will teach it later.)
BlacKkKlansman (2018)(again, dolly shot)
Da 5 Bloods (2020)(16mm flashbacks)

German Expressionism influenced screenings

autang — 2025-10-04 02:16:42 UTC

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919)
M (1931)
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Batman (1989)

The Host (2006, dir. Bong)

autang — 2025-11-03 22:00:49 UTC

Hello! While catching up on work, I stumbled upon an intriguing article about Bong Joon-ho’s The Host (2006). After Parasite, you might wonder what he reveals about Korea in this earlier film. Enjoy!