Czech Republic

The course focuses on selected phenomena from contemporary European and US cinema i.e. following 2000, and analyzes their production, distribution, and as esthetic features. The course discusses topics including the dominant tendencies in contemporary western cinema; their economic, social, and cultural background; and the analysis of selected films and their historical/cultural references.

Film, literature, and the arts have always played a central role in reflecting the attitudes towards the twin ideologies of Nazism and Communism in Central and Eastern Europe. They were central to propagandizing these ideologies and building their strength after World War I. However, they also provided the most vibrant forum for those challenging the totalitarian regimes established by Nazis and Communists. In the period since their fall, politics and academia have frequently failed to enable an accessible debate on their legacy. Thus, film and literature remain the site of a debate. This course explores the theme in a multi-disciplinary manner, drawing on history, political science, literature, film studies, and psychology. A thematical, rather than chronological, approach was selected to emphasize the occurrence of the examined issues across regions and times, using different methods of exploration. As Prague is one of the few capitals that experienced liberal democracy, Nazism, Communism, and a return to liberal democracy over the scope of slightly more than 50 years, first-hand experience through field trips and guest speakers is incorporated into the course to enhance understanding of the topic.

This course examines the influence of American culture, specifically the American media model, on media in the Czech Republic after the fall of communism in 1989. The course focuses on all aspects of the media, presenting specific examples. It begins with an introduction to American cultural influence on European culture and how this developed after the end of World War II in Western Europe, and after 1989 in Central Europe. It briefly covers the subject of life under communism in order to understand the contrast between the East and the West in Europe. It also focuses on the different existing media models. Students create an “American media model” with its specific characteristics. Students study literature and news items in both the United States and Europe (with an extra focus on the Czech Republic). Upon completion of the course, students understand and articulate American cultural influence in Europe, specifically in Central Europe after 1989; demonstrate their knowledge about both the American and Czech media based on the literature they studied and the examples they have seen and discussed in class and apply this knowledge in their own research; show and explain, in class discussions and in their work, the difference between the media in these two countries and the way this influences the way the news and facts are presented in both countries.

This course studies the ways in which montage sequences create emotions in film and show not only the work of the editor but also the specific film language, thinking, and philosophy of its director. This course studies excerpts from well-known films that express extreme and emotional life situations. Students choose one basic emotional situation (fight, sex, death, falling in love, etc.) and shoot and edit the same scene in two different styles of montage: one using minimum shots and one using at least twenty shots. Film screenings include APOCALYPSE NOW, TAXI DRIVER, BREATHLESS, L'MEPRISE, SEVENTH SEAL, L'AVVENTURA, H IS FOR HOUSE, PULP FICTION, BLUE VELVET, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, FRENCH CONNECTION, BLADE RUNNER, and more.

The course serves as an introduction to the city of Prague as a specific cultural and social milieu, seen through the lens of its artists, architects, and their works. It is also intended – particularly through the reading list – to inspire an interest in the unique blend of storytelling and legend that underpins much of the city’s character and history. The scope of the course includes the major periods of European architectural development: from medieval to modern, as well as aspects specifically reflecting the history and heritage of the Czech nation. In structuring the course according to artistic styles and movements, the course recognizes the ways in which artists of widely varying origins and temperaments responded to, influenced, or disrupted the artistic conventions of the day, and how their work continues to reflect the social and political dynamics of the city.

This is an internship opportunity through the Central European Studies Program that responds to a clear necessity among multicultural societies to educate young people abroad in a professional working environment. Apart from onsite work experience, the Internship Program has a strong and challenging academic component exposing students to the world of non-governmental organizations, education, and the social services sector in the Czech Republic and EU as well as developing personal, interpersonal, and intercultural competencies. Qualified students choose from several pre-screened internship positions with local, mostly non-governmental organizations, which may be involved in education, film, organization of international political conferences, local and global human rights issues, and library and administrative work in the field of economics.  International professional experiences are broadened through a series of guided discussions, a reflective journal, and presentations. Students explore major relevant topics, such as organization theory, and develop their intercultural skills through interactive workshops and reflection of their work experience in the host culture.