L’Afrance: un livre/un film

FRE4607.01
Course System Home Terms Fall 2026 L’Afrance: un livre/un film

Course Description

Summary

Vive l’Afrance! This film title (Gomis, 2001) summarizes the goal of this course: an exploration of the rich variety of shared and conflicting francophone identities. Constructed within or outside of France, the texts studied in this course will encompass West African, French, and/or Caribbean spaces. The discussion of notions such as « créolisation » will allow students to develop their linguistic, cultural and critical skills. Each unit will consist of the study of a book and a film, studied in conversation with one another. Authors include Franz Fanon, Maboula Soumahoro; filmmakers include Alice Diop and Amandine Gay. Advanced level.

Learning Outcomes

  • • Learn/improve the analysis of literary, cinematic, pictorial, or other texts
    • Reflect on concepts/notions such as creolization, Relation, etc.
    • Maintain and improve your knowledge of the French language
    • Maintain and improve your ability to read and write in French
    • Refine the use of grammatical structures
    • Enrich vocabulary
    • Learn and develop analytical and critical vocabulary
    • Present diverse information clearly and in an organized manner
    • Develop strategies for taking a position and supporting a thesis with convincing arguments
    • Develop the ability to analyze and explain underlying cultural perspectives/principles

Prerequisites

Permission of instructor.

Please contact the faculty member : nrouxel-cubberly@bennington.edu

Corequisites

Enrollment in Stephen Shapiro's course: "Texts in Transit: Translating from French to English"
- Attend 2 CSL events, including the French one
- Attend the French table at least twice

Cross List

  • Black Studies

Instructor

  • Noëlle Rouxel-Cubberly

Day and Time

MO,TH 10:00am-11:50am

Delivery Method

Fully in-person

Length of Course

1st seven weeks

Academic Term

Fall 2026

Area of Study

Credits

2

Course Level

4000

Maximum Enrollment

20

Course Frequency

Every 2-3 years