This course is an introduction to films made by Latin American filmmakers about Latin America. It explores how the national cinemas of the Americas narrate their history and portray their societies’ experiences, conflicts, and challenges. Students analyze films in historical and cinematic terms, exploring the various relations between cinema and the state, questions of ideology, national identity, class, race and ethnicity, gender, concerns about historical representations and political memory, and the use of film as a tool for social change.