We constantly find ourselves caught up in the relationships we have with others: with family (biological, adopted, chosen); with friends; with romantic and sexual partners; with the people, we pass on the streets; with ourselves. In this course, we will interrogate the personal, cultural, and historical significance of having a relationship with someone else. We will reflect on intimacy as it exists in our daily lives, as well as the influence of sociopolitical contexts on intimacy. Over the course of the semester, we will encounter different types of relationships, including friendship, love, community, and more, represented in films from around the French and francophone world.

In our discussions of these films—along with literary and scholarly writings—we will work together to reflect on how we live with others in modern society. In the spirit of intimacy, this course emphasizes in-class discussion, allowing students to practice spoken expression in French and to share different perspectives and ideas. Students will also write several short, written responses in various genres and a final reflective, analytical, or creative essay with the goal of examining these complex subjects using the vocabulary and techniques of film analysis.

Films may include: Hiroshima mon amour (Alain Resnais, 1959); Un homme et une femme (Claude Lelouch, 1966); Mommy (Xavier Dolan, 2014); Au-revoir là-haut (Albert Dupontel, 2017); Visages Village (Agnès Varda et JR, 2017); Ça twiste à Popenguine (Moussa Sene Absa, 1994); Lola (Jacques Demy, 1961).

Class Format:

For Fall 2021: Throughout the semester, we will approach course content both in-person and virtually. During in-person sessions, we discuss the films and other texts as a class, working together to share ideas and pose questions that deepen our analysis. Virtual sessions held on Zoom will allow us to engage in small groups to collaborate on activities that expand our understanding of the films and their themes.