The CSUN Cinema and Television Arts Department will introduce a new film course for the Spring 2025 semester – CTVA 415L – Latin American Cinema created and taught by Debarati Byabartta, who previously taught CTV 310 – History of American Cinema, and CTV 319 – Theory and Criticism.

The course is one of the several film courses on Regional and National Cinemas. CTVA 415 A-Z is described in the University Catalog as an “’in-depth look at the cinema of an individual nation or single region outside of North America with an emphasis on the aesthetic contributions made to international cinema.’’

The films showcased will be examined in a historical and cultural context, focusing on their production circumstances and individual creators. The nations and regions presented will differ from each semester. CTVA 415L is available for graduate credit with the approval of a CTVA graduate coordinator.

Byabartta explains the idea and goal behind developing this course on Latin American Cinema.

“The main idea is, as you guys might know, that CSUN is a Hispanic-Serving Institute (HSI). But unfortunately in CTVA, we never had any courses that would highlight it,” said Byabartta.

Byabartta began teaching at CSUN in the fall 2023 semester. She discussed that the university was searching for someone who could curate a course on Latin American cinema due to CSUN’s HSI status and she felt an instinctual draw to the project.

Byabartta transferred from a year of teaching at Cal State Long Beach where she taught a similar course.

“So they have a very established Latin American cinema course. So I already taught that course. So I have kind of an idea or rather I had an idea of how we would put this course in motion,” said Byabartta.

According to a report from CSUN Inside Counts – Institutional Research department, it was stated that 57% of the undergraduate population in fall 2022 consisted of Latinx/Hispanic students.

‘’So having something that would represent them and their voice and which would talk about the culture, the heritage, the root, as we say, that was very, very necessary. So that motivated me to start the course coming spring,’’ Byabartta said.

The course will cover 16 countries across Latin America with 16 films to cover each country, corresponding to the 16-week schedule of the semester.

”The idea is to start with North America and then gradually move to Central America, and then we go to the Caribbean,” Byabartta explains.

Byabartta wants to attempt to eliminate the false narratives and stereotypes associated with Latin America, but still bring awareness to the real issues going on within these countries.

The course in its first inception will be taught online and Byabartta welcomes all students of CSUN, especially those outside of the CTVA department to join and learn about the wonder and magic of Latin American cinema.

‘’And it is open to all departments because the main idea is to let people know about Latin America from every angle. So there should be students who would benefit like students of, let’s say, for example, journalism, they will definitely benefit students from, for example, let’s say English department, they do postcolonial studies,’’ Byabartta said.

Eventually, Byabartta wants the class to be in person for a full immersion experience and screening films at the Armer Theater.

Despite the primary language of Latin America being Spanish, the course will be taught completely in English and the films will all be subtitled in English as well. Byabartta has spoken with other departments and colleges of CSUN to hold conferences and screenings or film festivals as well.

Byabartta is in the process of creating a range of global cinema courses, concentrating on Africa and Asia next. She wants to diversify the films that are taught here at CSUN for CTVA students to expand their film knowledge beyond American cinema.

More information about this course can be found in the flier attached to this article.