Black American Cinema In this course we will examine various representations of Blackness in American Cinema, from Oscar Micheaux’s early silent films to Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. While we will primarily focus on films written and/or directed by African-Americans, we will also study the social, cultural, and political impact of Hollywood ideas and images of Black people and how they changed over time. Through a framework of both film theory and critical race theory, students will analyze how Black creative expression has manifested itself through film, influencing both form and content. 3 hours lect./3 hours screen

Documentary Filmmaking: Seeking Truth Through the Art of Non-Fiction In this course we will explore the artistic strategies used by documentary films to investigate ontological and existential “truths” about the world around us. Pairing non-fiction films across historical periods, countries, and stylistic modes with interdisciplinary readings, students will discuss and analyze their form and function through written (essays) and spoken word (podcasts). In the second half of the semester, students will collaboratively write, produce, and edit a documentary film about an issue or community close to them.

Black American Cinema In this course we will examine various representations of Blackness in American Cinema, from Oscar Micheaux’s early silent films to Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. While we will primarily focus on films written and/or directed by Black Americans, we will also study the social, cultural, and political impact of Hollywood ideas and images of Black people and how they changed over time. Through a framework of both film theory and critical race theory, students will analyze how Black creative expression has manifested itself through film, influencing both form and content. 3 hours lect./3 hours screen

African Cinema In this course we will examine how films written and directed by African filmmakers address the evolving identities of post-colonial Africans. Students will explore the development of various national cinemas and the film movements that helped define African cinema as a tool for cultural expression and social change. We will pair film studies, post-colonial studies, and African studies readings with a diverse selection of films from across sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal’s 1967 Black Girl (Ousmane Sembene) to the 2018 Netflix-produced Nigerian “Nollywood” film, Lionheart (Genevieve Nnaji). 3 hours lect./3 hours screen.

African Cinema In this course we will examine how films written and directed by African filmmakers address the evolving identities of post-colonial Africans. Students will explore the development of various national cinemas and the film movements that helped define African cinema as a tool for cultural expression and social change. We will pair film studies, post-colonial studies, and African studies readings with a diverse selection of films from across sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal’s 1967 Black Girl (Ousmane Sembene) to the 2018 Netflix-produced Nigerian “Nollywood” film, Lionheart (Genevieve Nnaji). Note to students: this course involves substantial streaming of films for assigned viewing. 3 hours lect./3 hours screen.

Advanced Filmmaking In this course students will work in teams to produce several short films, having the opportunity to take turns at fulfilling all the essential crew positions: director, producer, cinematographer, production sound mixer, editor, and sound designer. We will emphasize thorough pre-production planning, scene design, cinematography, working with actors, and post production —including color correction and sound mixing. The critical dialogue established in FMMC 0105 Sight and Sound I will be extended and augmented with readings and screenings of outstanding independently produced work.

Collaborative Video Projects In this course students will learn to work collaboratively either as crew members on the senior thesis films produced for FMMC 0701 or on original projects, depending on availability of resources. Students will receive credit for performing in key creative positions, including Producer, Assistant Director, Cinematographer, Art director, Sound Designer, and Editor. In this class students will learn advanced set operations, while workshopping projects from pre-production to main photography to editorial, post-production and the final screening. Students must do significant pre-production before January.

Filmmaking In this course students will gain a theoretical understanding of the ways moving images and sounds communicate, as well as practical experience creating time-based work. We will study examples of moving images as we use cameras, sound recorders, and non-linear editing software to produce our own series of short works. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the possibilities of the medium through experimentation, analysis, and detailed feedback while exploring different facets of cinematic communication.

Natasha Ngaiza

Reviews and ratings for Natasha Ngaiza at Middlebury College.Natasha Ngaiza teaches Black American Cinema, Documentary Filmmaking, African Cinema and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Natasha Ngaiza good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

This course was much more low maintenance than I expected. It is not perfectly organized but has some very interesting screenings and readings throughout. At the same time, there are also some that are not great or do not seem to apply to the course material as much. There was little participation in discussions aside from a small portion of the students, but there were fun group presentations and projects throughout the semester that made the classes more entertaining. Overall I would recommend this course if you are looking for something low-maintenance with good information in lectures and readings.

Weekly reading responses were most of the work. I wished we talked through the films a little more, but I really enjoyed them all and thought we had some interesting discussions. I liked the lectures, and I think I learned how to interpret film form better. 

Prof Ngaiza is very accommodating and willing to help you throughout the semester. There are a decent amount of assignments out of class (reading responses, video responses, projects, etc.) but are manageable. 