Contemporary Global Documentary
FILM S4215 - 3 POINTS
SESSION A: May 25–July 3, 2026
INSTRUCTOR: Joshua Glick
Day & Time: MW 1—4:10 PM
FILM
SUMMER 2026
This course fulfills the Global Core requirement.
This class tends to fill early, but spots can open up as students' plans change. Interested students who cannot register because the course is at capacity will be put on a waitlist. They will be offered places in the course as they become available.
Documentaries are proliferating with increasing intensity around the world. They circulate as market commodities, forms of entertainment, and vehicles for social change. In this class we will compare different national and regional contexts of contemporary documentary, including projects created within the media industries of China, Cambodia, Chechnya, Ukraine, Nigeria, and India. We will also examine the presence of “the global” within the United States, which involves exploring questions of immigration, border-crossing, and transnational co-production. Crucial to our course will be the close analysis of how documentaries actively address civil rights struggles, oppressive government regimes, cultural trends, environmental crises, and progressive social movements to create more inclusive, equitable communities. So, too, will we examine emerging technologies (AI, virtual and augmented reality), star-studded film festivals, and the reach and impact of mega studios such as Netflix and Wanda. Guest speakers (scholars, filmmakers, programmers) working in the field will enrich our class discussions. Site visits will offer the opportunity to engage with documentary through the cultural offerings of the city. This course fulfills the Global Core requirement.
Columbia students do not need to apply, but they do need to register. All visiting students will need to apply to the School of Professional Studies and register upon acceptance.