AMES1256

This course offers an opportunity to contemplate our ecological future as a planet through film. Movies can change how we think and act for the purposes of environmental justice. In this course, we will examine ecological changes that have occurred over decades of habitat loss and climate change, and the reasons for the radical changes in our ecologies and how movies made in Asia interpret these impacts. We will watch and discuss popular and indie Asian films that address social and environmental precarity through the lens of various Asia-related landscapes, cities, people, and creatures. The UN Environmental Program reports that the Asia-Pacific is “the fastest-growing economic powerhouse in the world. This strong economic growth has lifted about 1 billion people out of extreme poverty since the turn of the century. It is home to 60% of the world’s total population and 70% of the world’s most populous cities [...]. However, the region’s resource-intensive growth has come at a high price and poses a significant threat to people’s well-being and the environment.” In this course, students will analyze the relationship of people to places and impacts on various environments and their denizens as a result of historical events, technological innovation, and cultural beliefs.

At the same time, we will examine the ways in which film technologies, film styles, and film genres impact how we think about social and ecopolitical issues. How does the medium convey the message? With each film, we will examine a different genre or film style and how it contributes to the ways in which environmental and cultural issues get framed. In other words, in this course students will explore environmental issues in Asia while also exploring the relevance of representation in addressing contemporary issues involving human and non-human denizens, culture, and ecopolitics.

Finally, we will address the science behind these environmental issues. Scientific concepts to be explored include bioaccumulation and biomagnification in water bodies in East Asia; nuclear technology and its promises and politicization in East Asia; the role of dams in modernity and their impacts on places and people; the contribution of cement to CO2 emissions and new forms of cement being explored; how climate change manifests in distinct Asian territories—the mitigation practices for flooding and mudslides; fish protein as cultural food and its impact; the role of elephants in Asian culture; the use of trail cams in environmental biology; planned obsolescence and plastics and their impact in China; the role of popular culture including anime and social media in making change, and many other topics.

This course is cross-disciplinary and ideal for students in Asian studies, geography, media studies, biology, or environmental studies.

The Environment

Periodic Fall & Spring