Taking a course with Dr. Zacharia during the Fall 2017 semester has essentially sparked my interest in Greek representations and identities, hence I was excited to learn more this past semester in Dr. Zacharia’s Greek Representations class. This course was unusual in terms of its structure, as it was not lecture-based, although we started off by learning the theory of representations - for instance, by incorporating Foucault’s framework into our essays. Learning the theory was essential to the film analyses we did throughout the semester, as it encouraged the class to think critically. Each week we were given a list of films to watch and report on; this was a part of our collaboration with the LAGFF. Doing so gave a lot of meaning to our work in this class, as our opinions were taken into consideration when it came to deciding which films deserve to be a part of LAGFF 2018.
After watching the films, we had class discussions of representations, analysing the material through the lenses of gender, class, Greek identity, nationalism, sexuality, and many more. I greatly enjoyed watching the assigned films in this class, and I appreciated the efforts each filmmaker has put in his/her film. Furthermore, these films challenged the common stereotype of Greece by demonstrating that Greece is so much more than simply a country in a financial crisis. In my essays, I was able to apply my previous knowledge about the construction of stereotypes, as well as discussing what it means to be Greek today. Although Dr. Zacharia’s other class (Fall 2017) focused more on the history of Greece, I was able to utilise the knowledge from that class when it came to discussing how the modern Greek identity is constructed. This course was very engaging - despite the material being challenging at times, Dr. Zacharia was always available for help. Being a part of this class, as well as working closely with LAGFF, has been a personal, pleasant experience. It certainly encouraged me to do my best work -- after completing this course, I decided to minor in Classics & Archeology to continue my studies in this academic field.