How do we understand the moving image in what we know as contemporary cinema? How do we critically engage the history and traditions of media practices while testing the boundaries of established forms? In Great Painters & Film Auteurs, students will, through discussions, frame analysis and guest speakers, engage with these and other questions as they not only discover the link between the great painters of the past and today's auteurs of the cinematic screen but develop a new and exciting "filmic" eye. Students will be challenged to think about how we truly perceive cinematic information and what is done to form a single, cohesive moment of visual, emotional power.

The Literature of Surrealism course will attempt to cover many of the topics which are important for a better understanding of the history of the movement. Beginning with what came before it, we will then look at the initial literature which the movement created. From there, we will look at the different types of writing which the different Surrealist members created. As a conclusion, we will look at broader topics which can be seen in works throughout the movement, and we will look at a work that was influenced by "Surrealist" style. All of this will be done in order to stress the importance of literature in a movement which is most often remembered for its visual manifestations. Thus, by the time that the class is over, students will be able to fully grasp what the term "Surrealist" means and they will have a better understanding of what the Surrealists were trying to accomplish through their work.