From the passionate portrayal of slavery in 12 Years a Slave to the comedic but controversial stereotyping of Cajun and Creole culture in Disney's The Princess & The Frog, Louisiana has provided both the backdrop and subject matter for a number of films and television shows over the years. Often confused with the larger South, stereotypes and portrayals of this complex area both minimize and dramatize a history that few Americans know about. 

This course seeks to answer these questions by reviewing the history of Louisiana from early European exploration and settlement to the present through an evaluation of reality to its translation on film. In it, students will be asked to compare and contrast how Louisiana lives have been described, influenced, and changed by the film and television industry and U.S. popular culture.