FREN 402 - Voices of the Francophone Mediterranean

This course focuses on Mediterranean francophone literatures and cultures, principally from the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania and Lybia) but also occasionally from the Machrek (Lebanon, Syria), and the French Mediterranean, from colonial times to current events, including the post “Arab Spring”. The course contains units on orientalist representations, (texts, paintings, photographs and other critical material) diverse colonial and post-colonial European and North African representations of the regional cultures from multidirectional perspectives and theories, multiculturalism in North Africa, gender and sexualities, immigration, religion, and national/post-national cultural productions, including literature and cinema. Texts include major authors (such as Assia Djebar, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Abdellatif Laabi, Laila Lallami, Malika Mokeddem, Albert Memmi, for North Africa and Andrée Chedid, Ezza Agha Malak, Adonis from the Machrek for example). Films include a variety of classics and very contemporary films as well as theoretical and critical materials about the regional cinema and film directors. The course also includes graphic novels and music. Taught in French. Prerequisite(s): FREN 306 Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)