The emphasis of this course is on developing advanced conversation skills suited to discussion of complex issues and their representation. Through the most recent production of Italian women filmmakers including Archibugi, Comencini, Marazzi, Nicchiarelli, Golino and Zanardo we will explore different aspects of contemporary Italian life: personal and family relationships, ‘coming of age’, gender roles, work, politics, precariousness, discrimination, migration, choices, responsibilities and desires.

Internet-based research tasks, reading of articles, blogs, films review, and all the activities that precede, accompany and follow the screening of the films are aimed to amplify student’s knowledge of the language on a variety of levels: vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, regional linguistic characteristics, subtleties of text and subtext, listening comprehension and the use in context of more complex grammatical structures.

Toward the middle of the semester, each student will be assigned an independent research project on a film/documentary and/or director not yet presented in class.

Texts: Selected readings will be made available by the instructor

Taught entirely in Italian.
Required of Italian Studies majors.

Prerequisite: Italian 101 at UC Berkeley or proficiency placement.

Please contact Dr. Giuliana Perco if you have questions regarding placement in this course: gperco@berkeley.edu.