Prof. Barbara Zecchi, PhD

University of Massachusetts Amherst                                  Office: ILC 443                                                                                                                                       Office hrs: W 2-4 or by appointment

SPANISH 797AS - 01 (21766)

Aging Studies, Gender and Cinema

 

 

TENTATIVE SYLLABUS -Fall 2019

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Aging studies is a relatively new discipline, and its intersection with feminist film theory can lead to significant restatements and fundamental rethinking of cinema as a powerful technology of age.  This class aims to propose new approaches to cinema, and to feminist film theory in particular, in light of contemporary feminist conceptualizations of aging and aging narratives.  It provides an account of the ageism that has permeated Western societies, and it discusses the place aging and gender have occupied in visual studies. By focusing on the counternarrative character of female aging in several non-mainstream film productions, it advocates moving away from binary approach of aging as either decline or success, when representing aging in film. Finally, this essay explores new theoretical approaches from an intersectional perspective, aimed at deconstructing ageing in cinema, and it suggests new affirmative ways of looking at, and understanding, aging bodies.

 

In particular, we will address the following topics:

--Intersection of Aging Studies with Gender Studies

--Intersection of Aging Studies with Disabilities Studies

--Elder Stereotypes in cinema

--Narratives of Decline/Successful Ageing/Affirmative Ageing

--The invisibility of ageing women in mainstream cinema

--The representation of ageing women vis-à-vis ageing men

--The evolution of older women’s representation: are their roles becoming more (or less) visible (and if visible, more empowering) throughout the history of cinema?

--Aging in a cultural context: cross-national differences

--Aging and violence: Films that transform established narratives on elder women’s abuse and neglect and seek to reverse the traditional absence and/or stereotyping of older female characters in contexts of violence.

--Aging and sex: female eroticism after 50 (… or after 40)

--Aging and homosexuality

--Aging and sickness

--Aging/loss of memory/loss of historical memory

--Death and Euthanasia

The goal of this class is to provide students with specialized material for a deep understanding of the field of aging studies. Students will read academic texts on the topic and will work on a body of relevant films, and will write a specialized research essay at the end of the semester.

 

(The class is taught in Spanish)

 

CALENDAR:

Week 1- Sept. 5

Presentación- Introducción

 

Week 2- Sept. 12

-Discursos hegemónicos sobre etarismo

Madrid, 1987 (dir. David Trueba, España, 2011)

The Graduate (dir. Mike Nichols, US, 1967)

Reading:

Gullette, Margaret (2004)

«What is Age Studies?»  Aged by Culture, Cap. 6, Chicago UP

«Age Studies as Cultural Studies» Aged by Culture, Cap. 10, Chicago UP

Tarea:

Comentario de reacción 1

 

Week 3- Sept. 19

-Etarismo y las actrices

El día que mi madre mató a mi padre (dir. Inés París, España, 2016)

All about Eve (dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1950)

Lectura:

Zecchi, Barbara (2020): «Gendered Aging and Sexuality in Audiovisual Culture»

Tarea:

Comentario de reacción 2

 

 

Week 4- Sept. 26

-Sexualidad

La vida empieza hoy (dir. Laura Mañá, España)

80 Egunean (dir. Jon Garaño, José María Goenaga, Pais Vasco, 2010)

Lectura:

-Freixas, Anna (2012): «Secretos y silencios en torno a la sexualidad de las mujeres mayores» Estudios Etarios y relaciones intergeneracionales. Mic Género 2012, Mexico, Issuu  (pp. 119)

-Chivers, Sally «Same Difference?» The Silvering Screen 2011

Tarea:

Comentario de reacción 3

 

Week 5- Oct. 3

-Trabajo sexual

Dólares de arena (dir. Laura Amelia Guzman, República dominicana, 2015)

Vers le sud (dir. Laurent Cantet, Francia/Canada 2005)

Lectura:

Tarea:

Comentario de reacción 4

 

Week 6- Oct. 10

-Muerte

 No quiero dormir sola (dir. Natalia Berinstain, Mexico, 2012)

Las buenas hierbas (dir. Maria Novaro, Mexico)

Lectura:
Gullette, M.M. (2014). "Euthanasia as a Caregiving Fantasy in the Era of the

New Longevity." Age, Culture, Humanites. An Interdisciplinary Journal 1. 

http://ageculturehumanities.org/WP/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Euthanasia-as-a-Caregiving-Fantasy-in-Era-of-New-LongevityGullette.pdf

Tarea:

Comentario de reacción 5

 

Week 7- Oct. 17

-Envejecimiento positivo (Affirmative old age)

Con el viento (dir. Maritxell Colell, 2018)

Magnolia (dir. Diana Montenegro García, Colombia, 2012) (in class)

Lectura:

Sandberg, Linn (2013), «Affirmative Old Age: The Ageing Body and Feminist Theories on Difference», International Journal of Ageing and Later Life, 8, 1, pp. 11-40.

Tarea:

Comentario de reacción 6

 

 

Week 8- Oct. 24

-Empoderamiento

Gloria (dir. Sebastián Lelio)

Jackie Brown (dir. Quentin Tarantino)

Tarea:

Presentaciones

Outline de el ensayo final con filmografía y bibliografía comentada

 

Week 9- Oct. 31

GUEST: Celia Rico

Viaje al cuarto de una madre (2019)

Diarios filmados. Taller de documental con mujeres mayores (2014)

Luisa no está en casa (corto) (2012)

 

Week 10 – Nov. 7

GUEST: Raquel Medina

Señor liberto y los pequeños placeres

Tiempo suspendido (Natalia Bruschtein, Argentina, 2015)

Lectura: Medina, Raquel (2016)

 

Week 11- Nov. 14

 -Perdida de memoria (demencia senil y memoria histórica)

Arrugas (dir. Ignacio Ferreras, España, 2011)

Nedar (dir. Carla Subirana, Cataluña, 2008)

Prout, Ryan “Critical Condition: Alzheimer and Identity in Carla Subirana’s Nadar(2008)”  Journal of Iberian and Latin American Studies 18 (2012), p.250

 

Week 12- Nov. 21

-La mujer peligrosa

Elle (dir. Paul Verhoeven, 2016)

 

Week 13- Nov. 28

(Thanksgiving)

 

Week 14- Dec. 5

Conclusión

Presentaciones

 

 

 

 

CRITERIO DE EVALUACIÓN:

REQUISITOS

 

1) Participación

Es muy importante prepararse bien para la clase, para poder participar activamente en las discusiones.

 

2) Reacciones

A lo largo del curso hay que completar 5 “comentarios de reacción” (5 de los 6 indicados en el syllabus), de 500 palabras max.

Los comentarios de reacción son unos breves estudios del material, sin exigencia de ninguna base crítica, ni teórica, sino simples reflexiones resultado de la comparación entre las películas de la semana.

Estos comentarios van a ser la base de breves presentaciones orales

N.B. Se entregarán al final de cada clase. No se pueden aceptar trabajos entregados tarde

 

3) Presentación de un tema de investigación y trabajo final

A lo largo del curso lxs estudiantes tienen que desarrollar un tema de investigación (previa consulta conmigo).

-Durante la octava semana se presentará un outline con bibliografía y filmografíacomentada

-El trabajo final puede ser un ensayo o un video-ensayo:

Ensayo: El paper se tiene que entregar al final del curso y tiene que ser publicable según las normas indicadas

Video-Ensayo: de 10 min. max con texto escrito de 300-1000 palabras

En ambos casos los trabajos se presentarán en el último día de clase

NB. No se pueden aceptar trabajos entregados tarde

 

EVALUACIÓN

10%   Asistencia, participación

10%   Participación

30%   Reacciones

10%   Presentación del outline del trabajo final

40%  (Video) Ensayo final

 

 

Filmografía obligatoria:

Madrid, 1987 (dir. David Trueba, España, 2011)

The Graduate (dir. Mike Nichols, US, 1967)

La noche que mi madre mató a mi padre (dir. Inés París, España, 2016)

All about Eve (dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1950)

La vida empieza hoy (dir. Laura Mañá, España)

80 Egunean (dir. Jon Garaño, José María Goenaga, Pais Vasco, 2010)

Dólares de arena (dir. Laura Amelia Guzman, República dominicana, 2015)

Vers le sud (dir. Laurent Cantet, Francia/Canada 2005)

La plaga (dir. Neus Ballús)

Con el viento (dir. Maritxell Colell, 2018)

Arrugas (dir. Ignacio Ferreras, España, 2011)

Vers le sud (dir. Laurent Cantet, Francia/Canada 2005)

Nedar (dir. Carla Subirana, España, 2008)

No quiero dormir sola (dir. Natalia Berinstain, Mexico, 2012)

Poetry (dir. Lee Chang-Dong, 2011, South Korea))

Las buenas yerbas (dir. Maria Novaro, 2010, Mexico)

Gloria (dir. Sebastián Lelio, 2013, Chile) remake Gloria Bell (dir. Sebastián Lelio, 2013, USA)

Jackie Brown (dir. Quentin Tarantino, 1997, USA)

Elle (dir. Paul Verhoeven, 2016, France/USA)

 

 

Filmografía adicional:

 

La mujer sin piano (Dir. Javier Rebollo, España, 2009)

Loreak (Dir. Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga, España 2014)

De tu ventana a la mía (dir. Paula Ortiz, España)

La plaga (dir. Neus Ballús, España)

Learning to drive (dir. Isabel Coixet, España

Sexo por compasión (dir. Laura Mañá, España)

Em dic Sara (dir. Dolores Payás, España 1998)

Arrugas (dir. Ignacio Ferreras, España)
Función de noche (dir. Josefina Molina, España)

De tu ventana a la mía (dir. Paula Ortiz, España)

¿Y tú quien eres? (dir. Mercero, España)

Mejor que nunca (dir. Dolores Payás, 2008, España)

El pájaro de la felicidad (dir. Pilar Miró, España)

¡Vámonos, Bárbara! (dir. Cecilia Bartolomé, España)

Amanecer de un sueño (dir. Freddy Mas Franqueza, 2008, España)

Amour (dir. Michael Heneke, Francia, 2012)

Depuis qu’Otar est parti… (dir. Julie Bertuccelli, Francia, 2003)

Tatie Danielle (dir. Étienne Chatiliez, Francia, 1990)

Vers le sud (Laurent Cantet, Francia/Canada, 2005)

Oma & Bella (dir. Alexa Karolinski, Germany, 2009)

Moartea domnului Lazarescu (The Death of Mr. Lazarescu), (dir. Cristi Puiu, Romania, 2005)

 Le Week-end (dir. Roger Michell, UK, 2013)

Venus (dir. Roger Michell, UK, 2006)

45 Years (dir. Andrew Haigh, UK, 2015)

Quartet (Dustin Hoffman, UK, 2013)

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (John Madden, UK, 2011)

 La grande bellezza (dir. Paolo Sorrentino, Italia, 2013)

La giovinezza (Youth) (dir. Paolo Sorrentino, Italia, 2015) 

No quiero morir sola (dir. Natalia Berinstain, Mexico, 2012)

El violin (dir. Francisco Vargas Quevedo, Mexico, 2005)

Malas hierbas (Mariana Novaro, Mexico)

 Old cats /Gatos viejos (Pedro Peirano, Sebastian Silva, Chile 2010)

 Elsa y Fred (dir. Marcos Carnevale, Argentina, 2005)

Lugares comunes (dir. Adolfo Aristarain, Argentina, 2002)

El hijo de la novia (dir. Juan José Campanella, Argentina, 2001)

Bian Lian (King of Masks) (dir. Tian Ming Wu, China, 1997)

Aquarius (Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazil, 2016)

Dona Cristina perdeu a memória (Ana Luiza Azevedo, Brazil, 2002)

No Passo da Véia (Jane Malaquias, Brazil, 2002)

American Gigolo (Paul Schrader, 1980)
Jamón jamón (Bigas Lunas, 1992)
Sexo por compasión (Laura Mañá, 2001)
Fading Gigolo (dir. John Turturro, 2013)
Amic/Amat (dir. Ventura Pons, 1999, Cataluña)

Barcelona, Un mapa (dir. Ventura Pons, 2007, Cataluña)

Amanecer de un sueño (dir. Freddy Mas Franqueza, España, 2008)
Para que no me olvides (dir. Patricia Ferreira, España, 2005)
La ciudad sin límite (dir. Antonio Hernández, España, 2002)
Maragall: Bicicleta, cuchara, manzana (dir. Carles Bosch, España, 2010)
Bucarest, la memoria perdida (dir. Albert Solé, España, 2008)
Munis, La voz de la memoria (documental colectivo)
Remember (dir. Atom Egoyan, 2016)
Loreak (dir. Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga, España, 2014)
De tu ventana a la mía (dir. Paula Ortiz)
La plaga (dir. Neus Ballús)
Learning to drive (Dir. Isabel Coixet)
Sexo por compasión (dir. Laura Mañá)
Arrugas (dir. Ignacio Ferreras)

Función de noche (dir. Josefina Molina)

La Lola se va a los puertos (dir. Josefina Molina)

¿Y tú quien eres? (dir. Antonio Mercero, 2007)

Mejor que nunca (dir. Dolores Payás, 2008)

El pájaro de la felicidad (dir. Pilar Miró, España, 1993)

¡Vámonos, Bárbara! (dir. Cecilia Bartolomé, España, 1978)

Amanecer de un sueño (dir. Freddy Mas Franqueza, 2008)

Moartea domnului Lazarescu (The Death of Mr. Lazarescu), (dir. Cristi Puiu, 2005 Romania)

Amour (dir. Michael Heneke, 2012)

Depuis qu’Otar est parti… (dir. Julie Bertuccelli, 2003)

Tatie Danielle (dir. Étienne Chatiliez, 1990)

Vers le sud (Laurent Cantet, Francia/Canada, 2005)

Venus  (dir. Roger Michell)

45 Years (dir. Andrew Haigh, 2015)

Quartet (Dustin Hoffman, 2013)

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (John Madden, 2011)

La grande bellezza (dir. Paolo Sorrentino, 2013)

La giovinezza (Youth) (dir. Paolo Sorrentino, 2015) 

No quiero dormir sola (dir. Natalia Berinstain, Mexico, 2012)

El violin (dir. Francisco Vargas Quevedo, Mexico, 2005)

Malas hierbas (Mariana Novaro, Mexico)

Gatos viejos (Pedro Peirano, Sebastian Silva, Chile 2010)

Lugares comunes (dir. Adolfo Aristarain, 2002)

El hijo de la novia (dir. Juan José Campanella, 2001)

Bian Lian (King of Masks) (dir. Tian Ming Wu, China, 1997)

Make Way for Tomorrow (dir. Leo McCarey, USA, 1937)

Away from Her  (dir. Sarah Polley, USA/Canada, 2006)

Grandma (dir. Paul Weitz, 2015)

All About Eve (dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1950)

The Meddler (dir. Lorene Scafaria, USA 2015)

Death becomes her (dir. Robert Zemeckis, 1992)

A Song for Martin (dir. Bille August, 2002),

The Notebook (dir. Nick Cassavetes, 2004), and

The Memory of a Killer (dir. Erik Van Looy, 2005)

Iris (dir.Richard Eyre, 2001),

Still Alice (dir. Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland, USA, 2014)

Lovely, Still (dir. Nicholas Fackler, USA, 2008)

Elsa & Fred (dir. Michael Radford, USA, 2014)

Make Way for Tomorrow (dir. Leo McCarey, USA, 1937)

Away from Her  (dir. Sarah Polley, USA/Canada, 2006)

Grandma (dir. Paul Weitz, USA,2015)

All About Eve (dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, USA, 1950)

The Meddler (dir. Lorene Scafaria, USA 2015)

Death becomes her (dir. Robert Zemeckis, USA, 1992)

A Song for Martin (dir. Bille August, USA, 2002),

The Notebook (dir. Nick Cassavetes, USA, 2004)

The Memory of a Killer (dir. Erik Van Looy, USa, 2005)

Iris (dir.Richard Eyre, USA, 2001),

Under the Tuscan Sun (dir. Audrey Wells, 2003)

  

Series televisivas:

Golden Girls

Murder, She Wrote

Rosemary and Thyme

Boston Legal

Miss Marple

Last Tango in Halifax

Vera

Grace and Frankie

 

 

BIBLIOGRAFÍA OBLIGATORIA (available in Moodle):

 

Allen, Katherine (2009): “From Sexism to Sexy: Challenging Young Adults' Ageism About Older Women's Sexuality” December 2009 · Journal of Sexuality Research and Social Policy

 

Banner, Lois (1992): In Full Flower: Aging, Women, Power, and Sexuality, New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

 

Chivers, Sally (2011): The Silvering Screen: Old Age and Disability in Cinema, University of Toronto Press

 

Cruikshank, Margaret (2009): Learning to Be Old: Gender, Culture, and Aging, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

 

De Beauvior, Simone (1970): La Vieillesse, Paris: Gallimard.

 

Deutscher, Penelope (2014), ‘The Sex of Age and the Age of Sex’, in Silvia Stoller (ed.), Simone de Beauvoir’s Philosophy of Age: Gender, Ethics, and Time, Berlin, Boston: Walter de Gruyter, pp. 29-42.

 

Freixas Farre, Anna (2012): "Secretos y silencios en torno a la sexualidad de las mujeres mayores" Estudios Etarios y relaciones intergeneracionales_ Mic Género 2012, Mexico, Issuu (online: https://issuu.com/micgenero/docs/cat__logo_micg__nero_2012, pp. 119

 

Gardiner, Judith Kegan (2001): ‘Theorizing Age with Gender: Bly’s Boys, Feminism, and Maturity Masculinity’, in Judith Kegan Gardiner (ed.), Masculinity Studies and Feminist Theory, New York: Columbia University Press, pp. 90-118.

 

Gullette Monganroth, Margaret (1997): Declining to Decline. Cultural Combat and the Politics of the Midlife. Charlottesville: U of Virginia Press, 1997.

 

Gullette Monganroth, Margaret (2004): Aged by Culture. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004.

 

Gullette Monganroth, Margaret (2012): “Los estudios etarios como estudios culturales. Más allá del slice-of-life” https://issuu.com/micgenero/docs/cat__logo_micg__nero_2012, 71-88

 

Jermyn, Deborah (2012): “Get a life, ladies. Your old one is not coming back’: ageing, ageism and the lifespan of female celebrity” Celebrity Studies, Volume 3,  Issue 1: Back in the spotlight: Female Celebrity and Ageing

 

Krainitzki, Eva (2016): “’Older-wiser-lesbians’ and ‘baby-dykes’: mediating age and generation in New Queer Cinema” Feminist Media Studies 16(4):1-17 · June

 

Prout, Ryan “Critical Condition: Alzheimer and Identity in Carla Subirana’s Nadar(2008)”  Journal of Iberian and Latin American Studies 18 (2012), p.250

 

Rubenstein, Roberta (2000), ‘Feminism, Eros, and the Coming of Age’, Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 22, 2: December 2000, pp. 1-19.  

 

Sandberg, Linn (2013), ‘Affirmative Old Age: the Ageing Body and Feminist Theories on Difference’, International Journal of Ageing and Later Life, 8, 1, pp. 11-40.

 

Woodward, Kathleen (1991). Aging and Its Discontents – Freud and Other Fictions. Indiana: Indiana University Press..

 

Zecchi, Barbara (2017,): "Sex After Fifty: The ‘Invisible’ Female Ageing Body in Spanish Women-Authored Cinema", Spanish Erotic Cinema, Edited by Santiago Fouz-Hernandez. ISBN Hardback: 978147440047

 

BIBLIOGRAFÍA RECOMENDADA

 

Works Cited

 

Behuniak, Susan. M (2011). The living dead? The construction of people with Alzheimer’s disease as zombies. Ageing & Society, 31, 70–93.

 

Butler, Judith (1990). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge.

 

Robert, Butler (1975). Why Survive? Being Old in America. New York: Harper and Row.

 

Chivers, Sally (2011). The Silvering Screen. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 

 

Cole, Thomas. R., Achenbaum, W. Andrew, Jakobi,Patricia L.  and Kastenbaum, Robert (Eds.) (1993). Voices and visions of aging: Toward a critical gerontology. New York: Springer

 

Cohen-Shalev, Amir (2012). Visions of Ageing: Images of the Elderly in Film. Eastbourne: Sussex Academic Press.

 

Cohen-Shalev, Amir and Marcus, Esther (2012). An Insider’s View of Alzheimer: Cinematic Portrayals of the Struggle for Personhood. International Journal of Ageing and Later Life, 7 (2),7 3-96.

 

Cruikshank, Margaret (2008). Ageing and Identity Politics . Journal of Ageing Studies 22, 147–151.

 

De Beauvior, Simone (1972). The Coming of Age. (P. O'Brien, Trans.) New York: Putnam’s.

 

de Lauretis, Teresa (1987). Technologies of Gender: essays in theory, film, and fiction. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

 

Dodson, Betty (1996). Sex for One: The Joy of Selfloving.  New York: Random House.

 

Dolan, Josephine (2017). Contemporary Cinema and 'Old Age': Gender and the Silvering of Stardom.  Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.

 

Elena, Alberto (2014). Introduction to Cines del Sur Festival 2014 Catalogue. Granada: Junta de Andalucía

 

Freixas, Anna, Luque, Bárbara and Reina, Amalia (2012). Secretos y silencios en torno a la sexualidad de las mujeres mayores.  In Estudios Etarios y relaciones intergeneracionales, Adán Salinas Alverdi, ed. México, MICGénero-ISSUU, 117-127, https://issuu.com/micgenero/docs/cat__logo_micg__nero_2012

 

Gallop, Jane (2019). Sexuality, Disability and Aging. Durham: Duke University Press.

 

Gardiner, Judith Kegan (2002 ). Masculinity Studies and Feminist Theory: New Directions. New York: University of Columbia Press.

 

Gilbert, Susan and Gubar, Sandra (1979). The Madwoman in the Attic. New Haven: Yale University Press.

 

Gravagne, Pamela (2013). The Becoming of Age: Cinematic Visions of Mind, Body and Identity in Later Life. Jefferson: McFarland and Company, Inc. Publishers.

 

Grenier, Amanda, Griffin, Meredith and McGrath,Colleen (2016).  Aging and Disability: The Paradoxical Positions of the Chronological Life Course. Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal 12 (2&3). https://www.rdsjournal.org/index.php/journal/article/view/588/1680

 

Gullette, Margaret Morganroth (1997). Declining to Decline: Cultural Combat and the Politics of the Midlife. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press.

 

Gullette, Margaret Morganroth (2004). Aged by culture. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

 

Gullette, Margaret Morganroth (2011). Agewise: Fighting the New Ageism in America. Chicago: Chicago University Press. 

 

St. Pierre, Joshua (2015). Distending Straight-Masculine Time: A Phenomenology of the Disabled Speaking Body. Hypatia 30 (1), 49-65.

 

Haskell, Molly (2002). Revenge of the older woman. The Guardian. Available in: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/jun/28/mollyhaskell.culture (Accessed on 22 September 2019)

 

Luce Irigaray (1985) Speculum of the Other Woman (Gillian G. Gill, Trans.). Ithaca: Cornell University Press. 

 

Laslett, Peter (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society 7, 133-160.

 

Laslett, Peter (1991). A fresh map of life: The emergence of the Third Age. London: George Wiedenfield and Nicholson. 

 

Lonzi, Carla (1974), Sputiamo su Hegel. La donna clitoridea e la donna vaginale e altri scritti. Milan: Scritti di Rivolta femminile.

 

Macdonald, Barbara (1986). "Outside the Sisterhood: Ageism in Women's Studies"  Women and Aging: An Anthology by Women, eds. Jo Alexander et al., 1986. Corvallis, OR: Calyx Books.

 

Maines, Rachel (1999). The Technology of Orgasm: ‘Hysteria’, the Vibrator, and Women’s Sexual Satisfaction. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

 

Marks, Laura (2000). The Skin of the Film: Intercultural Cinema, Embodiment, and the Senses. Durham & London: Duke University Press.

 

Marks, Laura (2002). Touch: Sensuous Theory and Multisensory Media. Minneapolis: Minnesota University Press.

 

McHugh, Kevin (2003). Three faces of ageism: society, image and place. Ageing & Society 23 (2), 165-185.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X02001113

 

Medina, Raquel (2018). Cinematic Representations of Alzheimer’s Disease. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.

 

Medina, Raquel (2019). The Youthful Structure of the Look. In: Gu Dana, Dupre Matthew (Eds). Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Cham: Springer. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_278-1

 

Merino, Imma (2019). Agnès Varda. Espigadora de realidades y de ensueños, Donostia: Donostia Kultura.

 

Mulvey, Laura (2009). Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema In: Laura Mulvey, Visual and Other Pleasures. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, London, 14-27.

 

Oró-Piqueras Maricel (2019). Cougars and Silver Foxes in Film and TV. In: Gu, Dana and Dupre, Matthew (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2

 

Rich, Adrienne (1980). On Lies Secrets and Silence: Selected Prose, 1966-1980. London: W.W. Norton & Company.

 

Sandberg, Linn (2013) Affirmative Old Age: The Ageing Body and Feminist Theories on Difference. International Journal of Ageing and Later Life, 8 (1), 11-40. DOI: 10.3384/ijal.1652-8670.1381

 

Sandberg, Linn and Marshall, Barbara (2017). Queering Aging Futures. Societies 7 (3),  DOI: 10.3390/soc7030021

 

Shary, Timothy and McVittie, Nancy (2016). Fade to Gray: Aging in American Cinema. Austin: University of Texas Press.

 

Siebers, Tobin (2010). Disability Theory. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

 

Silverman, Kaja (1988). The Acoustic Mirror. The Female Voice in Psychoanalysis and Cinema. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

 

Swinnen, Aagje (2012). Everyone is Romeo and Juliet: Staging Dementia in Wellkåmm to Verona by Suzanne Osten. Journal of Ageing Studies. 26 (3), 309-318. DOI:10.1016/j.jaging.2012.01.006

 

Swinnen, Aagje (2018). Mumbling Beauty: Louise Bourgeois—portraits of the artist as a much older woman. Feminist Media Studies, 18(1), 122-137. DOI: 10.1080/14680777.2018.1409995

 

Twigg, Julia (2004). The body, gender, and age: Feminist insights in social gerontology. Journal of Aging Studies, 18 (1), 59-73. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2003.09.001

 

Waltz, Thomas  (2002). Crones, dirty old men, sexy seniors: Representations of the sexuality of older persons. Journal of Aging and Identity. 7(2), 99–112.

 

Wilson, Chris (2015). This Chart Shows Hollywood’s Glaring Gender Gap. Times Available in:  http://time.com/4062700/hollywood-gender-gap/ (Accessed 22 September 2019).

 

Woodward Kathleen (1989). Youthfulness as a Masquerade. Discourse 11(2), 119–142.

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Woodward, Kathleen (1991). Aging and Its Discontents – Freud and Other Fictions. Indiana: Indiana University Press.

 

Woodward, Kathleen (2006). Performing age, performing gender. NWSA Journal 18(1), 163–189

 

Zecchi, Barbara (2014). La pantalla sexuada. Madrid, Cátedra

 

Zecchi, Barbara (2017). Sex After Fifty: The ‘Invisible’ Female Ageing Body in Spanish Women-Authored Cinema. In Santiago Fouz-Hernandez (ed.). Spanish Erotic Cinema. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. 

 

Zecchi, Barbara (2019). Gendered Aging and Sexuality in Audiovisual Culture. In Dana Du and Matthew Dupre (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2

Zeilig, Hannah (2013). Dementia As a Cultural Metaphor. The Gerontologist 20 (3), 1-10. DOI: 10.1093/geront/gns203

 

 

 

OTHER RESOURCES:

 

• Journal of Women & Aging

• Feminist Media Studies Volume 16, 2016 - Issue 4: An Intergenerational Feminist Media Studies: Conflicts and Connectivities

• Mic Género sobre Aging studies (Estudios Etarios) de 2012, en https://issuu.com/micgenero/docs/cat__logo_micg__nero_2012

• Best Movies about Old Age: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls059549875/• 

• Mejores películas sobre la vejez: http://decine21.com/listas-de-cine/lista/Las-mejores-peliculas-sobre-la-vejez-93433

• Más películas aquí:  http://www.imdb.com/poll/pFQFb1Jqs2s/?ref_=tt_po_q1

• Películas sobre la tercera edad https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor%C3%ADa:Pel%C3%ADculas_sobre_la_tercera_edad

 

 

CONTENT WARNING

This class deals with sensitive topics which may be a trigger to some students. Our course material and classroom discussions will often focus on mature, difficult, and potentially challenging topics. Films and discussions might trigger strong feelings—anger, discomfort, anxiety, confusion, excitement, humor, and even boredom. Some of us will have emotional responses to the films; some of us will have emotional responses to our peers’ understanding of the films; all of us should feel responsible for creating a space that is both intellectually rigorous and respectful. Above all, be respectful (even when you strongly disagree) and be mindful of the ways that our identities position us in the classroom.

Many films are rated “R” (for sex, violence, substance abuse, profanity, impudence or other types of mature content). Please note that sexual content is viewed in Latin America much more leniently than in the US.  If you feel that this material is not appropriate for you, please let me know immediately.

 

Course Policies:

• Respect others—do not purposefully say things to hurt others and be mindful that others may be of a different class, gender, sexuality, religion, race, or ability set than you. The texts we read and film we watch deal with issues that may be quite personal to some students. Though our focus in this class will be on the films themselves and we will make every attempt to stay close the readings, it is likely that our readings will occasionally elicit personal and emotional responses. Please be kind and listen to one another. Remember we are all human and we are all doing the best we can.

• I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records.

• Please let me know by the end of the second week if you are registered with UMass Disability Services and something about the environment or curriculum hampers your learning.

• Students are also responsible for checking their email accounts regularly for any updates. I will only respond to formally written emails. For clarification see:

http://mleddy.blogspot.com/2005/01/how-to-e-mail-professor.html

 

 

ACCOMMODATION

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is committed to providing an equal educational opportunity for all students. If you have a documented physical, psychological, or learning disability on file with Disability Services, you may be eligible for reasonable academic accommodations to help you succeed in this course. If you have a documented disability that requires an accommodation, please notify me within the first two weeks of the semester so that we may make appropriate arrangements. Academic Honesty Statement (this exact statement is currently the minimum required in each syllabus) Since the integrity of the academic enterprise of any institution of higher education requires honesty in scholarship and research, academic honesty is required of all students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Academic dishonesty is prohibited in all programs of the University. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and facilitating dishonesty. Appropriate sanctions may be imposed on any student who has committed an act of academic dishonesty. Instructors should take reasonable steps to address academic misconduct. Any person who has reason to believe that a student has committed academic dishonesty should bring such information to the attention of the appropriate course instructor as soon as possible. Instances of academic dishonesty not related to a specific course should be brought to the attention of the appropriate department Head or Chair. Since students are expected to be familiar with this policy and the commonly accepted standards of academic integrity, ignorance of such standards is not normally sufficient evidence of lack of intent. Follow the link below for detailed information on the Academic Honesty Policy

 http://www.umass.edu/dean_students/codeofconduct/acadhonesty/

 

CHILDREN IN THE CLASSROOM

It is my belief that if we want women in academia, that we should also expect children to be present in some form. Currently, the university does not have a formal policy on children in the classroom. The policy described here is thus, a reflection of my own beliefs and commitments to student, staff and faculty parents.

1) All exclusively breastfeeding babies are welcome in class as often as is necessary to support the breastfeeding relationship. Because not all women can pump sufficient milk, and not all babies will take a bottle reliably, I never want students to feel like they have to choose between feeding their baby and continuing their education. You and your nursing baby are welcome in class anytime.

2) For older children and babies, I understand that minor illnesses and unforeseen disruptions in childcare often put parents in the position of having to chose between missing class to stay home with a child and leaving him or her with someone you or the child does not feel comfortable with. While this is not meant to be a long-term childcare solution, occasionally bringing a child to class in order to cover gaps in care is perfectly acceptable.

3) I ask that all students work with me to create a welcoming environment that is respectful of all forms of diversity, including diversity in parenting status.

4) In all cases where babies and children come to class, I ask that you sit close to the door so that if your little one needs special attention and is disrupting learning for other students, you may step outside until their need has been met. Non-parents in the class, please reserve seats near the door for your parenting classmates.

5) Finally, I understand that often the largest barrier to completing your coursework once you become a parent is the tiredness many parents feel in the evening once children have finally gone to sleep. The struggles of balancing school, childcare and often another job are exhausting! I hope that you will feel comfortable disclosing your student-parent status to me. This is the first step in my being able to accommodate any special needs that arise. While I maintain the same high expectations for all student in my classes regardless of parenting status, I am happy to problem solve with you in a way that makes you feel supported as you strive for school-parenting balance. Thank you for the diversity you bring to our classroom!

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Statement of Policy

Since the integrity of the academic enterprise of any institution of higher education requires honesty in scholarship and research, academic honesty is required of all students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Academic dishonesty is prohibited in all programs of the University. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and facilitating dishonesty. Appropriate sanctions may be imposed on any student who has committed an act of academic dishonesty. Instructors should take reasonable steps to address academic misconduct. Any person who has reason to believe that a student has committed academic dishonesty should bring such information to the attention of the appropriate course instructor as soon as possible. Instances of academic dishonesty not related to a specific course should be brought to the attention of the appropriate department Head or Chair. The procedures outlined below are intended to provide an efficient and orderly process by which action may be taken if it appears that academic dishonesty has occurred and by which students may appeal such actions.

Since students are expected to be familiar with this policy and the commonly accepted standards of academic integrity, ignorance of such standards is not normally sufficient evidence of lack of intent.

The University should be viewed as a place for the pursuit of knowledge and intellectual growth.  Students should be doing work that will be beneficial to them and also their future careers, such as pursuing new ideas and engaging in intellectual inquiry. The appropriation of the ideas of others as if they were a student’s own only does a disservice to the intellectual growth of the student, given that he/she is not engaged in the learning process and is not thinking through the myriad of issues that he/she should be pursuing at the University.  Therefore, be original as you can, think through issues and you will be better prepared for the real world.