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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "CMS/DMA 399A"
COURSE NAME: "Special Topics in Media Studies/Digital Media Arts: Cinema of the Margins: The Body as a Battleground"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2025
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Ludovica Fales
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: T 9:00 AM 11:45 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Special Topics in Media Studies/Digital Media Arts:
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
What does a body tell? What does one’s body communicate when it becomes representation, device, interface, hypertext, narrative?
The body is the shell of our most intimate subjectivity and at the same time a social and political entity—an incarnation of power structures. This course investigates the body as a tool for artistic and poetic practice, exploring identity, resistance, and nonconforming representation.
Through the lens of experimental cinema, video art, and creative documentaries, the course addresses how the body serves as a site for protest, provocation, and transformation. Drawing from a diverse range of works across feminist, queer, decolonial and postcolonial cinema, the course invites students to explore corporeality as a political force—examining how race, gender, sexual orientation, and ability shape and are shaped by representation.
Emphasizing practice-based learning, students will create four short audiovisual pieces centered on the eyes, mouth, heart, and sex, culminating in a collaborative installation. The course aims to inspire critical reflection and creative production that connects personal narratives to collective political meaning.
 

Summary of Course Content

This course is structured around weekly thematic explorations of the body as a socio-political and representational battleground in visual culture. Each cycle alternates between screenings/discussions and practical workshops, allowing students to both critically engage with theory and produce their own creative responses.
Students will examine seminal works in feminist, queer, decolonial, and post-porn cinema, and analyze how the body functions as both subject and object in audiovisual representation. Special attention is paid to artists who challenge dominant narratives and offer situated, intersectional perspectives.
Through project development workshops, students will be guided in creating four experimental short films exploring different “parts” of the body—eyes, mouth, heart, and sex. These works will be curated into a final multimedia installation that serves as a collective body of resistance and expression.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

●      Critically analyze bodily representation in audiovisual media through the lens of power, identity, and social discourse.

●      Examine how media representations of the body reflect and challenge societal norms and privilege structures.

●      Understand and contextualize the use of the body in experimental, feminist, and queer cinema and video art.

●      Apply critical theory to their own creative practice, articulating a conceptual foundation for their artistic work.

●      Collaboratively produce and curate a multimedia art installation that synthesizes personal and collective perspectives.
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Short Film Project 1: Eyes 15
Short Film Project 2: Mouth 15
Short Film Project 3: Heart 15
Short Film Project 4: Sex 15
Final Installation & Presentation 20
Participation & Peer Critique 10
Reading Responses (x2) 10

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Students are expected to attend all class sessions. Absences exceeding two classes without justification will impact the final grade. Active participation in workshops and critiques is essential.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

WEEK 1 – Introduction / The Body as Battleground
Screenings: Franco B., Rist, Schneemann

WEEK 2 – Workshop: Eyes / Mouth / Heart / Sex

Project development + thematic discussion

WEEK 3 – Feminist Cinema & the Male Gaze: a discussion around Laura Mulvey

Screenings: Akerman, Hammer

WEEK 4 – Workshop: Proposal pitching & research

WEEK 5 – Queer & Intersectional Cinema

Screenings: Julien, Dunye, Treut, Riggs

WEEK 6 – Workshop: Recording & footage gathering

WEEK 7 – Post-Porn & Sex-Positive Film

Screenings: Sprinkle, Chang, Despentes

WEEK 8 – Workshop: Reviewing and early editing

WEEK 9 – South Asian Feminist Docs

Screenings: Patwardhan, Dhanraj, Ghosh

WEEK 10 – Workshop: Editing strategies

WEEK 11 – Global Radical Voices

Screenings: Akbari, Preciado, Owusu, Tsang

WEEK 12 – Workshop: Installation prep & promotion

WEEK 13 – Final Edits & Preparation

WEEK 14 – Public Exhibition & Final Presentation

 

OVERVIEW OF KEY BIBLIOGRAPHIC WORKS FOR THE COURSE

●      Laura Mulvey, Visual and Other Pleasures

●      Paul B. Preciado, Testo Junkie

●      bell hooks, Black Looks: Race and Representation

●      Trinh T. Minh-ha, When the Moon Waxes Red

●      Amelia Jones, Body Art/Performing the Subject

●      José Esteban Muñoz, Cruising Utopia

●      Fatimah Tobing Rony, The Third Eye

Articles and essays by Annie Sprinkle, Bruce LaBruce, Chantal Akerman, Marlon Riggs, Shohini Ghosh, and others.