Description

The Mediterranean has long been the locus of a turbulent history and of vast population movements. This course will focus specifically on the period since the middle of the twentieth century, that is, since decolonization in North Africa and the Middle East. Civil wars, political strife and economic hardship push many into voluntary, forced or even metaphoric exile, lead to massive migrations and produce refugees in record numbers. This course will study some of these movements with a triple focus on exiles, migrants and refugees, as seen through literary works and film. We will ask what artistic practices contribute and how they mediate these contexts.