Wesley Sasaki-Uemura Spring 2021 CTIHB, Rm. 215 Online Office phone: 801-585-6991 Asynchronous wes.sasaki-uemura@utah.edu Hours: By appointment Course Content & Objectives This course explores Asian history and culture from India to China to Korea and Japan through films that relate to social issues. The themes of these films range from the legacies of colonialism and the trauma of modernity to environmentalism and changing women’s roles and family dynamics in aging societies. The selection of these films will mix famous directors and filmmakers with those from lesser known directors and includes films of genres associated with particular countries, such as anime or martial arts films. One genre, however, is not included — that of documentaries, although there will be some discussion of such films. Since this is an online asynchronous class, the movies will be streamed, and consequently the list of films is subject to change depending on our ability to get streaming rights. If we are unable to get streaming rights, DVDs will be placed on (physical) Reserve in the Marriott Library. You are on your honor to return the materials in a timely fashion so that everyone will be able to watch the movies.

There are no required textbooks for this course, but I will suggest some options that give general and technical information. Instead, you are required to read relevant articles and lectures for each film and post responses on Canvas. Links for the readings will be posted in the “Assignments” section and lectures will be posted in “Discussions” on Canvas. These resources provide historical and filmic background needed for greater in-depth exploration of how and why Asian filmmakers chose to relate these stories in the way that they do. Because this is an asynchronous online class, you are expected to participate in the discussion threads on the readings and to answer the questions that I ask about them. You are also required to write a series of four analyses on the films for each region (4 page minimum), plus an overall final 10-page paper or project on Asian film. I will give you the rubrics for the papers or projects during the semester.

A major objective of the course is to gain some appreciation of how artists (filmmakers) view certain historical and social issues within various Asian countries and how they attempt to solve them. Students are expected to learn how these different societies have visualized key events in their histories and the ways in which cultural heritages, natural and social environments, economic conditions, and political structures shape these visualizations. You are also expected to learn to evaluate filmic conventions,

History 4525: Asian Film

assess varying points of view presented in the films, use secondary sources to develop and defend one’s own assessments, and develop your writing abilities by incorporating the skills learned in this class. (See https://history.utah.edu/undergraduate/learning-outcomes.php for the History Department’s expectations for “Learning Outcomes” in our courses.)

All required readings are posted to Canvas.

For further reference material on: Asian cinema Tom Vick, Asian Cinema: A Field Guide, Harper Perennial, 2008 (ISBN: 0061145858) This is a basic reader whose main virtue is that it is not written in highly intellectualized academic style. It covers various countries including countries whose industries are beginning to receive international recognition. It is also affordable although it needs to be updated to the present.

There are a few other books covering Asian or East Asian cinema, but they are compilations of individual articles on particular topics or directors or movies. The following are available through the Marriott Library. Dimitris Eleftheriotis, Gary Needham, eds., Asian Cinemas: A Reader and Guide, University of Hawaii Press, 2006 (ISBN: 0824830857) Online access. Leon Hunt, Wing-fai Leung, eds., East Asian Cinemas: Exploring Transnational Connections on Film. I.B. Tauris, 2008. PN1993.5.E19 E23 2008

These are not available at the library and the latter book is ridiculously expensive. YAU Shuk-ting, ed., East Asian Cinema and Cultural Heritage: From China, Hong Kong, Taiwan to Japan and South Korea, Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. ISBN: 0230116957 Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park, Gina Marchetti, See Kam Tan, eds., The Palgrave Handbook of Asian Cinema, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. (ISBN: 1349958212)

There are literally hundreds of specialized books on the cinemas of specific Asian countries, specific directors, different time periods, particular genres, and so on. If you have an interest in these more specialized topics, you should be able to find plenty of material.

Film Production & History David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson, Jeff Smith, co-authors, Film Art: An Introduction (11th ed.) McGraw-Hill Education, 2016 (PN1995 .B617 2017) The 3rd edition is available via online access. This is a book about film aesthetics, techniques, narrative styles, and film history. For a glossary of film terms, please look at: http://www.filmsite.org/filmterms.html

Grading Policies Grading will be based on a combination of participation in class discussions and short assignments on the films, four 4-page written essays, and a final cumulative paper. You must submit all assignments to receive a course grade. The 4-page essays are due on: Feb.15th, Mar. 8th, Mar. 29th, and Apr. 19th. The final paper or project will be due on May 3rd. Since this course is asynchronous and on line, its is crucial that you participate in the discussion threads on Canvas and also submit answers to my questions on the films. Everyone will need to write something every week. Class participation will constitute 15% of the total grade. If you are unable to gain internet access or have computer breakdowns, you need to get in touch with me as soon as possible. If you also have an illness or are hospitalized for any reason, or if you have other kinds of family emergencies, again please get in touch with me as soon as possible so that we can work out some kind of accommodation. If you have conflicts with your work schedule, the asynchronous format should allow you plenty of flexibility to still do the classwork. However, if your work is impacting your ability to take this class, then you should contact me so that we can talk about your options. Arrangements can be made for Zoom appointments. With regard to class discussions, students are expected to be civil, mature and respectful of diverging points of view in class. Although these discussions are not occurring in person, you still need to observe proper netiquette. Personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please do not use bad language or the equivalent of shouting (all caps) or drown out other voices with enormous volumes of text. Please read what others have to say. There are relatively few students and so its is important to know what all of your classmates think. The four essays will constitute the bulk of the final grade for this class. Each one will count for 60% of your grade (15% each). You are expected to write a minimum of four (double-spaced typewritten) pages for each essay, excluding extended quotations, graphics, footnotes, bibliography, appendices, and so on. The essays should present an analysis of themes suggested by the films, lectures and readings. They should not be mere synopses of the films, but rather give a thesis or argument about the chosen topic. Papers will be graded on the basis of the cogency of the argument, the essay’s insight and organization, and the articulateness of the writing. Spelling and grammar count. If you have trouble writing English at the college level, please consult with the University Writing Center in the Marriott Library for assistance. Short papers and late papers will be down graded. The final paper will count for 25% of the course grade. We will discuss the rubric more fully later in the semester, butt you are expected to build on what you have done in the earlier papers to make a larger argument or thesis. I also expect you to do some added research for the paper beyond what you have already read for the class (i.e, the articles in Canvas). If you would prefer to do a project in another medium or genre, such as a podcast, or a documentary-style video, or an issue of a magazine, for your final, that would also be possible. There would still be certain guidelines that apply to all history projects, such as citation of sources, that would still be required, and we would need to discuss what would be an equivalent amount of work to a 10-page paper. If you are interested in such an alternative, please get in touch with me as soon as you decide you would like to take that route.

One final note about grades. I will not be posting grades to Canvas because it uses an unwieldy numerical scale, which does not translate well from the letter grade system that I use (A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.4, B = 3.0, and so on). Instead, I will email you individually with the grades I have given you for your papers. If you have not been contributing to the discussions, I will also alert you that you have not appeared. (I will be keeping track of your comments and contributions on my own.)

In your academic writing, you must properly acknowledge sources with footnotes. Any quotation, paraphrase, or use of another person’s theory or analysis that is not properly attributed with a footnote or endnote constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism is a very serious academic violation and it is the responsibility of the student to know exactly what it is. If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism, please refer to Section I, B. of the student code (http://www.admin.utah.edu/ppmanual/8/8-10.html). See also Section V on Academic Conduct and the procedures involved in cases of misconduct.

“‘Plagiarism’ means the intentional unacknowledged use or incorporation of any other person’s work in, or as a basis for, one’s own work offered for academic consideration or credit for public presentation. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, representing as one’s own, without attribution, any individual’s words, phrasing, ideas, sequence of ideas, information or any other mode or content of expression.” (Student Code, Section I, B., c.).

The offense is punishable by grade reduction, course failure and/or being brought up before the University’s Academic Misconduct Committee. Academic dishonesty and misconduct is similarly punishable. If I catch you plagiarizing someone else’s work, I automatically fail the paper. Depending on the intent and severity of the offense, I may also fail you for the course.

SCHEDULE (subject to change)

Indian Film Week 2 Colonial India Readings: Asian Cinema, “India” (87-112)

Darius COOPER, “Representations of Colonialism in Satyajit Ray’s ‘The Chess Players’” in Wimal DISSANAYAKE, Colonialism and Nationalism in Asian Cinema, Ch. 10 (174-189) Sumita CHAKRAVARTY, National Identity in Indian Popular Cinema, 1947-1987, Ch. 5 (157-190)

Film: “The Chess Players (Shatranj Ke Khilari)” (Satyajit RAY, dir., 1977) [Streamed]

Week 3 Shadows on the Past Readings: Tejaswini Ganti, Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema, Introduction, pp. 1-52.

Film: “Jodhaa Akbar” (Ashutosh Gowariker, dir., 2008) [Streamed]

Week 4 Dalit and Caste Issues Reading: Mitu Sengupta, “A Million Dollar Exit from the Anarchic Slum-world,”

Third World Quarterly V. 31, N. 4, 2010 (599-616)

Film: “Serious Men” (Sudhir MISHRA, dir., 2020)

Essay #1 (on South Asian film) due on Feb. 15th.

Chinese Film Week 5 The Filmic Creation of Nation

Readings: Chris Berry, Mary Farquhar, China on Screen, Ch. 1: Introduction (pp. 1-16, Ch. 6: How Should Men Act? (pp. 135-168) / ZHU Yun, “In Search of an ‘Origin’ / WANG Xin, “From the Art House tto the Mainstream”

Film: “Hero” (ZHANG Yimou, dir., 2004) [Streamed] Week 6 What Modernity Buries

Reading: Dai QING, The River Dragon Has Come!”, Chs. 1, 4, 5 (3-17, 39-69) / Barbara Jenni, “Fusion Cinema” / WU Shu-chin, “Time, History, and Memory in Jia Zhangke’s 24 City."

Film: “Still Life (Sanxia haoren)” (JIA Zhang Ke, dir., 2006) [Streamed]

Week 7 Families and Generations Readings: Zhan HU, Xizhe PENG, “Household Changes in Contemporary China” Film: “The Farewell” (Lulu WANG, dir., 2019)

Essay #2 (on Chinese Film) due on Mar. 8th.

Korean Film Week 8 Sites of Historical Memory

Readings: Sul-young KIM, “Crossing the Border to the ‘Other’ Side” / Youngmin CHOE, “Postmemory DMZ in South Korean Cinema” / We Jung YI, “The Pleasure of Mourning”

Film: “J.S.A. (Joint Security Area” (PARK Chan-work, dir. 2000)

Week 9 Modern Mobility Chi-Yun SHIN & Julian STRINGER, eds., New Korean Cinema, Chs. 2, 8 (32-50, 117-131) / Nancy ABELMAN, The Melodrama of Mobility, (1-32)

Film: “Take Care of My Cat (Goyangireul Butakhae)” (JEONG Jae-eun, dir. 2001)

Week 10 An Aging Society Readings: “Enlisting Korea’s Youth to Fight an Elderly Disease,” “In South Korea, Children East Alzheimer’s Bite” (NY Times articles) / KOH Yu-sang, “Megatrends in Korean Healthcare,” SERI KWAN Soonman, “Population Aging in Korea”

Film: “Poetry (Shi)” (LEE Chang-dong, dir., 2010) Essay #3 on Korean film is due on Mar. 29.

Japanese Film Week 11 What Makes Live Worth Living?

Readings: Shapiro, “Cross Cultural Ethics” / YOSHIMOTO Mitsuhiro, Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema, Ch. 14 (194-204) /

Film: “Ikiru (To Live)” (KUROSAWA Akira, dir., 1952)

Week 12 Anime and Apocalypse Reading: Susan NAPIER, “Doll Parts,” in Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke / Sharalyn Orbaugh, “Frankenstein and the Cyborg Metropolis” / Timothy Iles, “The Human and Posthuman in Japanese Animation” in The Crisis of Identity in Contemporary Japanese Film

Film: “Ghost in the Shell ” (OSHII Mamoru, dir., 1995)

Week 13 What is a Family? Readings: Paul Risker, “Question the Nature of Family Bonds” (interview) / Akiko HASHIMOTO, John Traphagan, “Changing Japanese Families” in Imagined Families, Lived Families / Kathryn Goldfarb, “Coming to Look Alike” Film: “Shoplifters” (KORE-EDA Hirokazu, dir., 2019)

Essay #4 on Japanese Film due Apr. 19

Week 14 Plus 1 Reading: To Be Announced Film: To Be Announced

Week 15 Conclusion on Zoom

Final essay is due on May 3rd.

Week 1 - Jan. 19-22 Week 2 - Jan. 25-29 Week 3 - Feb. 1-5 Week 4 - Feb. 8-12 Week 5 - Feb. 15-19 Week 6 - Feb 22- 26 Week 7 - Mar. 1-5 Week 8 - Mar. 8-12 Week 9 - Mar. 15-19 Week 10 - Mar. 22-26 Week 11 - Mar. 29 - Apr. 1 Week 12 - Apr. 5-9 Week 13 - Apr. 12-16 Week 14 - Apr. 19-23 Week 15 - Apr. 26 (last day)

RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement

The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in the class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for Disability Services, 162 Olpin Union Building, 801-581-5020. CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. All written information in this course can be made available in an alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services. http://disability.utah.edu

University Safety Statement

The University of Utah values the safety of all campus community members. To report suspicious activity or to request a courtesy escort, call campus police at 801-585-COPS (801-585-2677). You will receive important emergency alerts and safety messages regarding campus safety via text message. For more information regarding safety and to view available training resources, including helpful videos, visit safeu.utah.edu.

Addressing Sexual Misconduct

Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment baed on sex and gender (which includes sexual orientation and gender identity / expression) is a civil rights offense subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, color, religion age, status as a person with a disability, veteran’s status or genetic information. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you are encouraged to report it to the Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, 135 Park Building, 801-581-8365, or the Office of the Dean of Students, 270 Union Building, 801-581-7066. For support and confidential consultation, contact the Center for Student Wellness, SSB 328, 801-581-7776. To report to the police, contact the Department of Public Safety, 801-585-2677 (COPS).

Wellness Statement

Personal concerns such as stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, depression, cross-cultural differences, etc., can interfere with a student’s ability to succeed and thrive at the University of Utah. For helpful resources contact the Center for Student Wellness - www.wellness.utah.edu 801-581-7776.

Veterans Center

If you are a student veteran, the U of Utah has a Veterans Support Center located in Room 161 in the Olpin Union Building. Hours: M-F 8-5pm. Please visit their website for more information about what support they offer, a list of ongoing events and links to outside resources: http://veteranscenter.utah.edu/. Please also let me know if you need any additional support in this class for any reason.

LGBT Resource Center

If you are a member of the LGBTQ community, I want you to know that my classroom is a safe zone*. Additionally, please know that the U of Utah has an LGBT Resource Center on campus. They are located in Room 409 in the Oplin Union Building. Hours: M-F 8-5pm. You can visit their website to find more information about the support they can offer, a list of events through the center and links to additional resources: http://lgbt.utah.edu/. Please also let me know if there is any additional support you need in this class.

Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student’s legal name as well as “Preferred first name” (if previously entered by you in the Student Profile section of your CIS account, which managed can be managed at any time). While CIS refers to this as merely a preference, I will honor you by referring to you with the name and pronoun that feels best for you in class or on assignments. Please advise me of any name or pronoun changes so I can help create a learning environment in which you, your name, and your pronoun are respected. If you need any assistance or support, please reach out to the LGBT Resource Center. https://lgbt.utah.edu/campus/faculty_resources.php

Learners of English as an Additional/Second Language

If you are an English language learner, please be aware of several resources on campus that will support you with your language development and writing. These resources include: the Writing Center (http://writingcenter.utah.edu/); the Writing Program (http://writing-program.utah.edu/); the English Language Institute (http://continue.utah.edu/eli/). Please let me know if there is any additional support you would like to discuss for this class.

Undocumented Student Support Statement

Immigration is a complex phenomenon with broad impact — those who are directly affected by it, as well as those who are indirectly affected by their relationships with family members, friends, and loved ones. If your immigration status presents obstacles to engaging in specific activities or fulfilling specific course criteria, confidential arrangements may be required from the Dream Center. Arrangements with the Dream Center will not jeopardize your student status, your financial aid, or any other part of your residence. The Dream Center offers a wide range of resources to support undocumented students (with and without DACA) as well as students from fixed-status families. To learn more, please contact the Dream Center at 801-213-3697 or visit dream.utah.edu.

Academic Conduct

All students are expected to maintain professional behavior in the classroom setting, according to the Student Code, spelled out in the Student Handbook. Students have specific rights in the classroom as detailed in Article III of the Code. The Code also specifies proscribed conduct (Article XI) that involves cheating on tests, plagiarism, and/or collusion, as well as fraud, theft, etc. Students should read the Code carefully and know they are responsible for the content. According to Faculty Rules and Regulations, it is the faculty responsibility to enforce responsible classroom behaviors, beginning with verbal

warnings and progressing to dismissal from class and a failing grade. Students have the right to appeal such action to the Student Behavior Committee. Faculty must strive in the classroom to maintain a climate conducive to thinking and learning. PPM 8-12.3, B. Students have a right to support and assistance from the University in maintaining a climate conducive to thinking and learning. PPM 8-10, II. Please consult the following website for History’s departmental policies on Academic Misconduct. http://history.utah.edu/students/misconduct-policy.php).

Accommodations Policy

Some of the readings, lectures, films, or presentations in this course may include material that may conflict with the core beliefs of some students. Please review the syllabus carefully to see if the course is one that you are committed to taking. If you have a concern, please discuss it with me at your earliest convenience. For more information, please consult Section Q of the University of Utah’s Regulations Library, Policy 6-100: Instruction and Evaluation, which appears at: http://regulations.utah.edu/academics/6-100.php

Diversity Statement

The Department of History recognizes the barriers that have systematically marginalized and excluded people and communities based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, socioeconomic background, age, disability, national origin, and religion. We are committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion, because it is just and because these are essential to a rich academic, intellectual, and cultural environment. Every member of this class must show respect for others. To report a bias incident, please go to: https://inclusive-excellence.utah.edu/

This syllabus is not a binding legal contract. It may be modified by the instructor when the student is given reasonable notice of the modification.