This class examines the history of Mexican film industry from the silent period through the contemporary moment, providing an overview of key films, directors, genres and historical developments. We will consider the socio-historic and political contexts in which the films were produced, with particular emphasis placed upon the connections between filmic content and changing ideas of nationalism, gender and race throughout the 20th century and beyond. Accordingly, this course will engage both historical scholarship on Mexican cinema and textual analyses of individual films. Throughout, we will also investigate the relationship between cinema and other media, and explore the transnational exchanges that have structured a decidedly national industry. In addition, the course will also move beyond the canon of major films to consider a number of low budget, exploitation and experimental works.