In the course, we set out to explore the image of “the nation” and the “other“ in early American Film. We are interested in the way early film helped construct the idea and specific characteristics of an American nation, and, at the same time, set it off against an alien “other“. In order to do so, we will study concepts of what constitutes a nation and check it against filmic realities. We are also going to look at some examples of the way other ethnicities were being portrayed in early American film in order to prepare the ground for projects on the nation and the “other” of your own choosing.
