The aim of this cultural studies course is to examine the representations of African-Americans in American cinema as they have been developing since D.W. Griffith's 1915 racist masterpiece "Birth of a Nation." Beside pointing out some notorious stereotypes in the cinematic representation of African-Americans by American mainstream cinema, we will also follow some more recent artistic attempts at challenging them and portray black characters from a less stereotypical point of view.

The secondary aim is to provide students with a general introduction into a better appreciation of the film medium. The sessions will be devoted to watching and discussing some important movies featuring African-American characters (as well as films made by black film makers) and to discussions of the assigned reading.