Poetry in Chinese Film and Media

This course examines the uses of poetry in Chinese films and media products from the early twentieth century to the present. We will focus on how poetry and cinema work with each other to expand imaginations of the Chinese-speaking world. How do filmmakers juxtapose traditional Chinese verses with modern settings? How does poetry in other languages cast an unexpected light on Chinese homes, villages, rivers and mountains, and outer space? How might cinema illumine hidden aspects of Chinese cities by capturing underground poetry scenes? The course ends by considering the impact of current fast media consumption on how we enjoy films and poems.