An introduction and overview of Mexican cinema from the first Lumière screening in Mexico City (1896) to the recent wave of creative filmmakers such a Alfonso Cuarón, Carlos Raygades, and Guillermo del Toro. Topics include: the role of film in the Mexican revolution; popular genres during the Mexican Golden Ages of cinema (1930-1950); Luis Buñuel’s contribution to Mexican Cinema; the New Mexican Cinema movement that rose up following the massacre at Tlatelolco; Mexican B cinema, including El Santo and horror cinema; Border Cinema and Narcocinema”; the innovating developments during the 1990’s; and recent trends in Mexican Cinema including the revival of short films and electronically disseminated visual media. Screenings of major films include: La mujer del puerto (Arcady Boytler 1934), Vámanos con Pancho Villa (Fernando de Fuentes 1936), Allí está el detalle (Juan Bustillo Oro 1940), Cuando los Hijos se Van (Juan Bustillo Oro 1941), Río Escondido (Emilio Fernández 1948), Aventurera (Alberto Gout 1950),Los Olvidados (Luis Buñuel 1950), El (Luis Buñuel 1953), Canoa (Felipe Cazals 1976), Un lugar sin límites (Arturo Ripstein 1978), Rojo amanecer (Jorge Fons 1989), Novia que te vea (Guita Schyfter 1994), La ley de Herodes (Luis Estrada 1999), Temporada de patos (Fernando Eimbcke 2004), Batalla en el cielo (Carlos Reygadas 2005), and Children of Men (Alfonso Cuarón 2006).Important: The course is open to students with no prior language skills as a Cinema Studies course: CINE 287 601. All class lectures, discussions, and required work, readings, and screenings will be in English or presented with English subtitles and translations.Students who desire Spanish credit for the course may register for SPAN 287. These students will complete all their written assignments in Spanish and prepare a final oral exam in Spanish in addition to participating in the regular lectures and class discussion.