Carnegie Mellon University

Equity & Justice: Human Rights & Film in Latin America

Course Number: 82-399

82-399 is for students interested in doing coursework in Spanish for Hispanic Studies credit. Students interested in taking the course in English should register for 82-299.

This course has the dual purpose of examining important human rights issues in Latin America and questioning the role of film in making visible, critiquing, or even sustaining the structures that lead to human rights violations. We will study specific human rights issues tackled by filmmakers in Latin America, such as cultural rights, gender and sexuality rights, economic rights, environmental issues, and war and state terror. Furthermore, we will discuss specific film schools and movements that developed to address human rights and social justice issues in diverse Latin American contexts. Finally, we will look at how Latin American films work on the international human rights film festival circuit, and the ethical and practical implications of filming local human rights issues for international audiences. 

View the Schedule of Classes for more details

Units: 9