This course focuses on the cinematic traditions of China, from the early silent era through to the twenty-first century. Students explore the themes, styles, aesthetics, and socio-political contexts of particular films as well as the evolution of the entire Chinese film industry. Special emphasis is given to the New Chinese Cinema from the early 1980s to the present moment. The representative directors under discussion include such internationally renowned filmmakers as Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, Jia Zhangke, Wang Xiaoshuai, and Ang Lee.