"Looking for something new this summer? Let's look beyond Hollywood and Bollywood and explore Pollywood, Punjabi Cinema. This course is an introduction to contemporary Punjabi Cinema (Pollywood), a popular film genre in South Asia. We will analyze themes, narratives, socio-cultural aspects and historical contexts depicted in Punjabi Cinema. Students will analyze key films to explore themes of love, relationships, language, identity, migration, diaspora, cross-cultural experiences, xenophobia, misrepresentation, gender, class, and social justice. After Indo-Pak partition of 1947, Punjab was divided in two parts. Despite religious differences, Punjabi people on both sides of the border find their commonalities in the Punjabi language, indigenous culture, rituals, folk music, dance, food, and dress. Punjabi Films play an important role in learning language, communicating culture and rebuilding communities beyond nationalism and politics. The concept of ‘Sadha Punjab’ (our Punjab) is replaced by ‘Sanjha Punjab’ (common Punjab) not only among the Punjabi communities in India and Pakistan but also in UK, the US and Canada. The students will watch Mastaney (2023), Chhalla Mud Ke Nahi Aaya (2022), The Legend of Maula Jatt (2022), Jatt & Juliet (2024), Guddiyan Patolay (2019), Shadaa (2019), Chal Mera Putt (2019), and Laung Lachi (2019)."