This course presents the turbulent history of twentieth century China through documentary films. In addition to reading historical texts, students will study various films made by journalists and filmmakers of the time and in recent years. In the first half of the term, the course will cover major historical events from the 1911 revolution to 1989. In the second half, through closely studying documentary films the course will focus on several themes, including China's role in WWII, the Anti-Rightist Campaign, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the Tiananmen Incident in 1989. Some of the films are in English and some in Chinese with subtitles.