NELC159/ CINE329: Israeli Literature and Film in Translation: Holding a Mirror: Who Am I?

Transcription

1 NELC159/ CINE329: Israeli Literature and Film in Translation: Holding a Mirror: Who Am I? Eran Riklis Fall 2014 Tuesday/ Thursday 1:30-2:50 Class in Van Pelt Film Room (RM 425). ALL FILM SCREENINGS on Wednesdays at 5:00-8:00 in Van Pelt Film Room (RM 425). Office Hours: Tuesday, 3:00-4:00, 707 Williams. By appointment only. This course is a filmmaker s voyage into the definition of Israeli identity as reflected in Israeli cinema and its central characters. Israeli films have always searched for the definition of what it is to be an Israeli. We will explore the definition of the new Israeli hero from Paul Newman as Ari Ben Canaan in Exodus personifying the new Israeli Jew all the way to the self- doubting, haunted Ari Folman in Waltz with Bashir. We will look at how the Sephardi Jews from Arab countries are looked down on in the cinema of the seventies and are searching for their identity today as well as how Israeli cinema has portrayed Arabs from straightforward enemies to possible partners. We will look at the ever-changing role of woman in Israeli films. We will also question the essence of Jewish identity in Israeli cinema and the effect 3,000 years of a complex history have on the modern day hero. The course will use full length feature films and short films (all Israeli except Exodus ) to see how the films observe and reflect the various people who make up the old and new Israel old immigrants, new immigrants, Israeli born Sabras, men, women, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, survivors of the Holocaust and survivors of the many wars in the region, all making up one of the most diverse, complex, complicated, ambitious and controversial societies in the world. All this will be wrapped in historical insight and personal views on religion, culture, media, social issues, and will be open to constant debate in view of a constantly changing region with a rich, powerful, dominant history that influences people locally, regionally and globally. Furthermore, it is an observation of how local, regional and global politics, decisions and actions influence the individual in Israel, in the Middle East, in the world. It is about who I am, who you are, it is about identity and how strong it can be and yet how fragile, how clear and yet obscure, how it shapes who we are and where we are going and yet there are constant choices to be made dramatic ones, light hearted ones, extreme ones, delicate ones, all influencing not only are own life but the life of people who are the closest to us on every level. Living in the Middle East means a long history of claims to the land, spiritual and religious bonds, fear of the unknown, fear of the known, terror, moments of grace, hope and hatred that has split up people and nations for far too long. Whether you wake up in Tel Aviv, Damascus, Jerusalem, Cairo or Beirut you have to face who you are, what you believe in and where you want to see yourself today and find yourself tomorrow. People are always on the run from who they are, from what they are meant to be, from what is expected of them. With this course, we will all embark on a voyage of self-exploration as we observe and view the lives of others and explore their aspirations, identity and struggles as they reflect on us, the viewers who are not and should not be bystanders but rather participants with our own views and feelings.

2 Holding a Mirror: Who am I? Subjects and films: Please note some films appear in more than one subject column as the film incorporates more than one subject that will be analyzed and discussed in class. Also note that some of the films are used in class only where specific excerpts will be shown when relevant to the discussion or the subject matters. The students are required to watch all the films as per the syllabus. The (old) New Israeli an ever changing identity. The Sephardic Jew a voyage of rejection and acceptance. The Israeli Woman her strength and her weakness. The Arab identity, loyalty, fear and hope. Exodus (1960, Preminger) Salah Shabati (1964, Kishon) Three Mothers (2006, Zvi- Riklis) Beyond the Walls (1984, Barabash) Metzitzim (1973, Zohar) The Policeman (Kishon) The Band s Visit (2007, Kolirin) Cup Final (1991, Riklis) Life According to Agfa (1992, Dayan) Three Mothers (2006, Zvi-Riklis) Fill the Void (2012, Burshtien) Lemon Tree (2008, Riklis) Beaufort (2007, Cider) The Band s Visit (2007, Kolirin) Yossi & Jagger (2002, Fox) Beyond the Walls (1984, Barabash) Late Marriage (2001, Kososhvili) Vulcan Junction (2000, Riklis) The Syrian Bride (2004, Riklis) Ajami (2009, Copty/Shani) The Human Resources Manager (2010, Riklis) Zohar (1993, Riklis) The Band s Visit (2007, Kolirin) Waltz with Bashir (2008, Folman) Zaytoun (2012, Riklis) Footnote (2011, Cider)

3 Shorts films (to be viewed in class only): Look Out (1991, Zvi-Riklis) House (1994, Ofek) The Substitute (2005, Lavie) Shabat Entertainment (2003, Ben Nun/Brazis) Sand (1997, Levy) Curdania (1984, Zvi-Riklis) Cock Fight (2000, Lifshitz) Diploma (2009, Kayam) Borders (1998, Riklis) Bread (1986, Levy) The Truck (2003, Riklis) Additional films may be added, some may be changed. Background reading (and specific chapters as will be instructed during the semester): ISRAELI CINEMA East/West and the politics of representation ELLA SHOHAT ISRAELI CINEMA Identities in Motion MIRI TALMON & YARON PELEG ADDITIONAL READING: Papers and links will be distributed during the semester and will be posted on CANVAS.

4 Classes: No. DATE FILM / ASSIGNMENT SUBJECT / REF. / COMMENTS 1 8/28 Thursday Introduced by Nicola M. Gentili Associate Director, Penn Cinema Studies Assignment: view EXODUS Read: Introduction from Israeli Cinema (Shohat) pages: 1-12 PDF to be posted on CANVAS (finish reading by 9/4) Read: kend/week-s-end/the-exoduseffect-the-monumentallyfictional-israel-that-remadeamerican-jewry /2 Tuesday General introduction Discuss EXODUS: The making of the new Israeli Hero Discuss upcoming film SALAH SHABATI Assignment: view SALAH SHABATI 3 9/4 Thursday Discuss SALAH SHABATI: The New Immigrant faces the Old Immigrant View short film in class: CURDANIA PAPER DUE 9/9 (IN CLASS): The New Israeli Hero vs. the New Immigrant. 4 9/9 Tuesday Discuss upcoming film THREE MOTHERS Assignment: view THREE MOTHERS

5 5 9/11 Thursday Discuss THREE MOTHERS: New Voices immigration, assimilation, disillusionment. View short film in class: House PAPER 1 DUE 9/16 IN CLASS: THREE MOTHERS and CURDANIA: the director s personal journey. 6 9/16 Tuesday Discuss upcoming film BEHIND THE WALLS Assignment: view BEHIND THE WALLS Read: Israeli Cinema Pages , 268 PDF will be posted on CANVAS. 7 9/18 Thursday Discuss BEHIND THE WALLS: East meets East? View short film in class: DIPLOMA Assignment: TBA 8 9/23 Tuesday Discuss upcoming film CUP FINAL View excerpts from ZAYTOUN PAPER 1 DUE 9/30 IN CLASS: BEHIND THE WALLS (subject TBA) Assignment: view CUP FINAL 9/25 Thursday NO CLASS ROSH HASHANA 9 9/30 Tuesday Discuss CUP FINAL: The Israeli Anti- Hero, The Palestinian as a Human Being. A revolution? View short film in class: LOOK OUT Discuss upcoming film: THE POLICEMAN Assignment: view THE POLICEMAN 10 10/2 Thursday Discuss THE POLICEMAN: The New

6 Sephardi Jew as a marginal force View short film in class: BAIT PAPER 2 DUE 10/7 IN CLASS comparison of The Policeman s character and Cohen from Cup Final 11 10/7 Tuesday Discuss upcoming film: METZIZIM Assignment: view METZIZIM ADDITIONAL READING: TBA 10/9 Thursday NO CLASS SUCCOT 12 10/14 Tuesday Discuss METZIZIM: The New Israeli Reborn: Welcome to the Seventies. View short film in class: TBA and/or view excerpt from VULCAN JUNCTION Assignment: view THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER 10/16 Thursday NO CLASS SUCCOT II 13 10/21 Tuesday Discuss THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Discuss upcoming film: LIFE ACCORDING TO AGFA View short film in class: TBA Assignment: view LIFE ACCORDING TO AGFA 14 10/23 Thursday Discuss LIFE ACCORDING TO AGFA: The Hidden face of chaos View short film in class: TBA PAPER 3 DUE 10/28 IN CLASS Metzizim, Life According to Agfa, The

7 Human Resources Manager: The hidden connection /28 Tuesday Discuss upcoming film: THE BAND S VISIT View short film in class: TBA Assignment: view THE BAND S VISIT 16 10/30 Thursday Discuss THE BAND S VISIT: Mixed Identities View short film: Sand PAPER 3 DUE 11/4 IN CLASS: The Band s Visit 17 11/4 Tuesday Discuss upcoming film FILL THE VOID View short film in class: Shabat Entertainment Assignment: view FILL THE VOID 18 11/6 Thursday Discuss FILL THE VOID: God, Tradition, Liberation View excerpts in class from: FOOTNOTE and LATE MARRIAGE PAPER 3 DUE 11/11 IN CLASS: FILL THE VOID /11 Tuesday Discuss upcoming film: LEMON TREE View short film: Cock Fight Assignment: view LEMON TREE 20 11/13 Thursday Discuss LEMON TREE: Justice to all? View MAKING OF PAPER 4 DUE 11/18 IN CLASS - Lemon

8 Tree 21 11/18 Tuesday Discuss upcoming film: BEAUFORT View short film: The Substitute Assignment: view BEAUFORT 22 11/20 Thursday Discuss BEAUFORT: The Face of Militarism? Assignment: TBA 23 11/25 Tuesday Discuss upcoming film: YOSSI & JAGGER View short: AFTER Assignment: view YOSSI & JAGGER FINAL PAPER SUBJECT APPROVAL DEADLINE. PAPER TO BE DELIVERED 12/2 11/27 NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING 24 12/2 Tuesday Discuss YOSSI & JAGGER: The Gay Military Discuss upcoming film: THE SYRIAN BRIDE View short film in class: BORDERS FIVE PAGE FINAL PAPER DELIVERY DEADLINE Assignment: view THE SYRIAN BRIDE 25 12/4 Thursday Discuss THE SYRIAN BRIDE: Once you cross the border there is no way back. Discuss upcoming film WALTZ WITH BASHIR FINAL EXAM: details TBA 26 12/9 Tuesday Discuss WALTZ WITH BASHIR: From Ari to Ari what has changed, where do

9 we go from here. Closing discussion. Assessment: Class preparation & participation: All film viewings, additional readings and response papers must be completed by the dates indicated on the syllabus. (21%) Open discussions in class are encouraged. Response Papers: 1-page response papers, submitted as per the instructions in the syllabus. (24%) Papers to be submitted in class. Quiz: There will be minute quizzes during the semester. The quiz will comprise of several factual questions on content. Brief, specific answers will be expected. (15%) Final Paper: One 5-page final paper, topic to be approved by instructor (25%) About the final paper: It should be an analytical discussion of either one or two films studied in class compared with a film or literary work chosen by the student. TBD. Final Exam: Short-answer test on the readings. The purpose of the final exam is specifically to assure that you understood all the materials. It will NOT be an essay-based test. (15%) Note: Format for ALL papers: Double spaced, 12 point font. Follow MLA or Chicago manual guidelines for writing papers.