Latin American Literature and Cinema

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will explore cinematic and literary representations of Argentina and Latin America. It will thus focus on
cinema and literatures common capacity to enact and depict national identities through storytelling and recurrent topics.

RECOMMENDED READINGS
Amiel, Vincent, Esthtique du montage, Paris, Armand Colin Cinma, 2001.
Andrew, Dudley, Concepts in Film Theory, Oxford-New York-Toronto-Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1984.
Aumont, Jacques (et altr.), Esthtique du film, Paris, Armand Colin Cinma, 1983.
Barnard, Tim [ed.], Argentine Cinema, Nightwood Editions, Toronto, 1986.
Barnard, Tim and Peter Rist [ed.], South American Cinema. A Critical Filmography. 1915-1994, Austin, University of Texas
Print, 1998.
Barrenechea, Ana Mara, La expresin de la irrealidad en Borges, Buenos Aires, CEAL, 1984.
Captulo, Cuadernos de literatura argentina, Buenos Aires, CEAL, 1985.
Chion, Michel, L'audio-vision. Son et image au cinma, Paris, Armand Colin Cinma, 1990.
Deleuze, Gilles, L'image-mouvement, Cinma 1, Paris, Minuit, 1983
Evelyn Fishburn & Psiche Hughes, A Dictionary of Borges, Foreword by Mario Vargas Llosa & Anthony Burgess, (pdf
document available online: http://www.uiowa.edu/borges/bsol/ ]
King, John, Ana Mara Lpez, Manuel Alvarado (ed.), Mediating Two Worlds. Cinematic Encounters in the Americas, Londres,
British Film Institute, 1993
Ludmer, Josefina, El gnero gauchesco. Un tratado sobre la patria, Buenos Aires, Sudamericana, 1988.
Noriega, Chon A. [ed.], Visible Nations. Latin America Cinema and video, Minneapolis, University of Minneapolis Press, 2000.
Nowell-Smith, Geoffrey (ed.), The Oxford History of World Cinema, Oxford University Press, 1996.
Sarlo, Beatriz, Borges, un escritor en las orillas, Buenos Aires, Ariel, 1993. [the English edition, Borges, a Writer on the Edge, is
available online: http://www.uiowa.edu/borges/bsol/ ]
!!, Una modernidad perifrica: Buenos Aires 1920 y 1930, Buenos Aires, Planeta, 1996.
Schwartz, Ronald, Latin American Films, 1932-1994, North Carolina, Mc Farland & Company, 1997.
Vanoye, Francis and Anne Goliot-Lt, Prcis danalyse filmique, Nathan Universit, Paris, 1992.
Vias, David, Literatura argentina y realidad poltica, Buenos Aires, Sudamericana, 1995.

COURSE DESIGNATOR ARGN 3008
NUMBER OF CREDITS 3

Language of Instruction English

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GRADING
PARTICIPATION AND PREPARATION
Attendance doesnt mean participation. In order to get a participation-in-class grade, you need to participate actively in all
class discussions. In order to participate, you need to read/reflect upon the assigned texts before coming to class. You
need to have your reading material for each class and bring it to class.
EXAMS
(Prof. Albertengos classes) on the first half of the last meeting class #5, you will be tested on all the topics covered
from class 1 through 4. This aspect of the final grade component is subject to change if the professor considers that
another form of evaluation would be more convenient to improve the students class performance; i.e. weekly quizzes,
reaction papers, and/or group presentations. It will all depend on the students response and participation.

NO LATE EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN.

CRITERIA FOR GRADING AND GRADING STANDARDS
Summary of how grades are weighted:
Grading Rubric
A 95+
Achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to
meet course requirements.
A- 90-94
B+ 86-89
B 83-85
Achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet
course requirements.
B- 80-82
C+ 76-79
C 73-75
Achievement that meets the course requirements in every respect.
C- 70-72
D+ 66-69
D 60-65
Achievement that is worthy of credit even though it fails to meet
fully the course requirements.
F <60
Represents failure (or no credit) and signifies that the work was
either (1) completed but at a level of achievement that is not worthy
of credit or (2) was not completed and there was no agreement
between the instructor and the student that the student would be
awarded an I.





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Attendance/ Participation
(Professor Albertengo)
25%
Exam (classes 1-4) 25%
Attendance/ Participation
(Professor Schettini)
25%
Exam (classes 6-14) 25%
Overall grade 100%

CLASS SCHEDULE AND DESCRIPTION
NOTE:
The s yl l abus wi l l not ne c e s s ar i l y be t aught i n t he or de r i n whi c h i t e ms ar e l i s t e d. Fi l ms mi ght c hange ac c or di ng t o
avai l abi l i t y.

WEEK 1
Topic:
Contemporary Latin American Short Story
LESSON 1

Activities
Introduction Contemporary Short Story in Latin America Characteristics
Horacio Quiroga Decalogue of the Perfect Short-Story Writer (1927).
The Fantastic Short Story Julio Cortzar Axolotl In: The End of the Game (1952)

WEEK 2
Topic:
Film Adaptation of Literary Texts: The Fantastic Story
LESSON 2

Activities
The Fantastic Short Story Julio Cortzar Blow-up In: The Secret Weapons (1964)
Blow-up. Dir. Michelangelo Antonioni. Prod. Carlo Ponti. MGM/UA Home Video, 1991 (Film)



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WEEK 3
Topic:
Fantastic and Mysterious Labyrinths: A Continuous Perception of Space and Time (I)
LESSON 3

Activities
The Fantastic Short Story Jorge Luis Borges The Secret Miracle In: Artifices (1944);
Borges and I In: The Maker (1960).
The Detective-Fantastic Short Story Jorge Luis Borges Death and the Compass In: Artifices
(1944).

WEEK 4
Topic:
Magical Realism: Reality and Its Loose Boundaries
LESSON 4

Activities
The Magical Realist Short Story Gabriel Garca Mrquez A Very Old Man with Enormous
Wings In: The Incredible and Sad Story of Innocent Erendira and Her Heartless Grandmother (1972)
A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings. Dir. Fernando Birri. Screenwriter Fernando Birri, in
collaboration with Gabriel Garca Mrquez. Fox Lorber Home Video, 1991 (Film)

WEEK 5
Topic:
Exam classes 1-4
Fantastic and Mysterious Labyrinths: A Continuous Perception of Space and Time (II)
LESSON 5

Activities
The Detective-Fantastic Short Story Jorge Luis Borges Death and the Compass In: Artifices
(1944)
The Oxford Murders. Dir. Alex de la Iglesia, 2008 (Film)





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WEEK 6
Topic:
Testimonies of History
LESSON 6

Activities
Christopher Columbus Journal of Christopher Columbus - 1492 (excerpts). .
Rereading History Alejo Carpentier The Harp and the Shadow (1979), p. II.
Film: The Mission. Dir. Roland Joff, 1986 (Film)

WEEK 7
Topic:
The Discovery as a Mistake
LESSON 7

Activities
Rereading History Alejo Carpentier The Harp and the Shadow (1979), p. II.
Columbus logbook.
Domingo F. Sarmiento: Civilization and Barbarism.

WEEK 8
Topic:
The Vast Labyrinths of the Plains
LESSON 8

Activities
Jorge Luis Borges: The Gospel According to Mark , The South, The Aleph.
Film: Historias mnimas Dir. Carlos Sorn (2002)

WEEK 9
Topic:
Cultural Icons
LESSON 9

Activities
Film: Evita (documentary)
Rodolfo Walsh: That Woman.
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Toms Eloy Martnez: Saint Evita

WEEK 10
Topic:
Revolution and Minorities
LESSON 10

Activities
Manuel Puig: Kiss of the Spider Woman
Film: Kiss of the Spider Woman (Dir. : Hctor Babenco)

WEEK 11
Topic:
Cultural Icons II
LESSON 11

Activities
Che Guevara: Letters.
Film: The Motorcycle Diaries or Che Guevara I and II
Introduction and Prologue to The Guerrilla Warfare, by Che Guevara

WEEK 12
Topic:
Violence without Ideology
LESSON 12

Activities
Roberto Arlt. Los siete locos. [Excerpts] or Mad Toy
Film: Nueve Reinas, Dir.: Fabin BIELINSKY (2000), Argentina or Un oso rojo, Dir.: Adrin
CAETANO (2003), Argentina.



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WEEK 13
Topic:
The Economic Crisis
LESSON 13

Activities
Film: Valentn

WEEK 14
Topic:
The Present
LESSON 14

Activities
Film: El secreto de sus ojos (Dir. Juan Jos Campanella)
* Alejandro Lpez. Die, Lady, Die
* Csar Aira The Hare (Chapter 1).
*Diana Bellessi & Ursula K. LeGuin. Gemelas del Sueo.
*Vladimir Nabokov. Russian Spoken Here
Final exam/paper to be determined by teacher

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Academic integrity is essential to a positive teaching and learning environment. All students enrolled in University courses
are expected to complete coursework responsibilities with fairness and honesty. Failure to do so by seeking unfair
advantage over others or misrepresenting someone elses work as your own, can result in disciplinary action. The
University Student Conduct Code defines scholastic dishonesty as follows:
SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY:

Scholastic dishonesty means plagiarizing; cheating on assignments or examinations; engaging in unauthorized
collaboration on academic work; taking, acquiring, or using test materials without faculty permission; submitting false or
incomplete records of academic achievement; acting alone or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain
dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or professional endorsement; altering forging, or misusing a University academic
record; or fabricating or falsifying data, research procedures, or data analysis.
Within this course, a student responsible for scholastic dishonesty can be assigned a penalty up to and including an F or
N for the course. If you have any questions regarding the expectations for a specific assignment or exam, ask.
STUDENT CONDUCT
The University of Minnesota has specific policies concerning student conduct and student needs. This information can be
found on the Learning Abroad Center website.