FILM 3P91 - Contemporary Film Theory (Syllabus)

May 30, 2017 | Autor: Terrance H. McDonald | Categoria: Film Studies, Film Theory, Cinema Studies, Contemporary Film Theory
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Brock University Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film FILM 3P91: Contemporary Film Theory (Fall 2016) Instructor: Terrance H. McDonald Email: [email protected] Office: SBH 337 Office hour: Monday 11:00am to 12:00noon Lecture: Monday and Wednesday 9:00am to 10:00am in AS 215 Screening: Wednesday 10:00am to 12:00noon in AS 215 Seminar: Monday 10:00am to 11:00am in TH 141 NOTE ON SCREENINGS: certain screenings in this course may contain material some find offensive. Your enrollment in this course indicates your awareness of this and your willingness to approach these cinematic texts in a critical manner. ELECTRONIC DEVICE POLICY: no electronic devices of any kind (cellphones, laptops, tablets, audio/video recorders, etc.) are to be used during screenings. If a student is seen using one of these devices then they will be asked to leave the screening immediately because of the disruption it has on the viewing experience of others. You are permitted to use laptops or tablets to take notes during lectures, but students are encouraged to take written notes as research suggests this is a more effective learning practice – this information is available widely on the Internet. We would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Course Outline: How do we explore the world, ourselves, and, even, cinema itself through moving images? This course offers an introduction to major theoretical discourses in cinema studies since the 1960s. While questions in classical film theory tend to focus on film's ontology and film's status as art, post-classical film theory (1960s and 1970s) considers how film functions in the world. Is cinema a language? What is cinema's relation to reality? How are film form and spectatorship intertwined with ideology? What broader socio-cultural issues of representation in cinema are at stake? What is the significance of cinema for the creation of subjectivities? The course begins with an introduction to what is at stake for film theory in the contemporary field of cinema studies through a discussion of what future film theory may have in film studies departments and beyond. Then the course surveys post-classical movements influenced by theories of semiotics, psychoanalysis, ideology, gender, and race. We then consider the cognitive and post-theory counter to "grand theory" in film studies before considering more recent theoretical discourses emerging in cinema studies related to phenomenology, the philosophy of Deleuze, memory studies, and theories of affect. To conclude the course, we will spend the final two weeks exploring the digital turn and its impact on film theory.

Course Objectives: • • • •

Identify and demonstrate an understanding of important theoretical movements in film studies from the 1960s to present Situate film theory as a discourse addressing the filmic medium and connect this thinking to a broader media studies and socio-cultural framework Provide students with the opportunity to explore diverse approaches to the theoretical study of cinema Further develop students' ability to critically and theoretically discuss and analyze film and other media

Course Materials: Required: - Furstenau, Marc. (2010). The Film Theory Reader. New York: Routledge. *[TFTR] - Additional readings posted to Sakai - Weekly film screenings

Assignments & Evaluation Participation: 15% Film theory position paper: 15% Research paper: 25%

Weekly reflections: 20% Research paper proposal: PASS/FAIL Take-home exam: 25%

IMPORTANT: the last day to withdraw without academic penalty is 8 Nov. 2016 Attendance: Students must attend all lectures, seminars, and screenings. There will be lectures, seminars, and screenings with content not readily available through any other means. Please speak to me, the instructor, if you miss a lecture, screening, or seminar – or if you anticipate missing one – and explain the circumstances. Participation - 15%: Students will be asked to participate in various components of the course, including discussion of films and readings within lecture and seminar. In addition, students will have the opportunity to submit short statements in some lectures and seminars when there is discussion. This is to ensure everyone has the ability to gain marks that count towards the participation grade regardless of any difficulties students may have with public speaking. Weekly reflections - 20%: Students are required to submit a one-page maximum (12 point font, double-spaced, 2.5cm margins) reflection each week that puts a concept from one of the week's readings into dialogue with the screening from that week. Reflections are due each Monday at the beginning of lecture and they will be marked out of 1 (0.0, 0.5, or 1.0). The reflections will involve demonstrating how the film, or a scene

from that film, supports or counters a theoretical claim made by the reading through scene analysis. These reflections will serve as a space for students to explore ideas, to work towards theoretical competence, and to practice writing about film theory. The best ten reflections will be used to calculate the grade for this component. This assignment will be discussed in greater detail at the beginning of the course and guidance will be offered throughout the semester. Film theory position paper - 15%: Students are required to submit a four-page (12 point font, double-spaced, 2.5cm margins) film theory position paper where they take a theoretical position in relation to a debate from the pre-reading week topics. Students will be given a list of possible choices on Wednesday, September 28th and the paper will be due at the beginning of lecture on Monday, October 17th. In the position paper students will engage with the particular problems, questions, or issues that arise in the debate between the two readings. This task will involve putting the two texts into productive dialogue or debate by briefly elaborating and defending a specific critical position. This will be discussed in greater detail when the list of choices is distributed. Research proposal - PASS/FAIL: Due in at the beginning of lecture on Monday, November 21st, students are asked to write a research proposal (one-page, 12 point font, double-spaced, 2.5cm margins) that outlines their proposed research paper topic and thesis. In addition, students are asked to include a second page that lists 5 references with a rationale for using each reference (one sentence explaining the relevance for the paper). More detail about the research paper and potential topics will be given in lecture/seminars during Week 9. Students MUST submit a research proposal in order to submit a final essay. If a student receives a FAIL on the research proposal then they will be asked to resubmit a revised proposal (within 2 weeks) that takes into account the feedback they received. Note: if a student misses the deadline then the research paper will be deducted 10%. However, the student will still need to have an approved proposal in order to submit the research paper – arrangements with the instructor must be made by the student to facilitate this. Students are encouraged to meet with the instructor to discuss research papers prior to the submission of their proposal. Research paper - 25%: Students are asked to write an essay (7-8 pages, 12 point font, double-spaced, 2.5cm margins) that examines a particular aspect of contemporary film theory. The paper will be due on Sakai by 11:59pm on Monday, December 19th. The research paper will require students to conduct research on their selected subject and incorporate at least 5 secondary sources into their paper. Students will also need to take a theoretical position in order to demonstrate, support, and clarify their argument. More detail about the research paper and potential topics will be given in lecture during Week 9. Students are encouraged to meet with the instructor to discuss research papers prior to the submission of their proposal. Late policy: late research papers will be marked PASS/FAIL (50% or 0%) and no research paper will be accepted two weeks after the deadline. Extensions will only be granted for medical or emergency reasons (with appropriate documentation). Please talk to the instructor BEFORE the research paper due date if you have any questions about this policy or if you have a conflict.

Essay and bibliographic format: your research paper must adhere to essay form and bibliographic format. If you have questions please consult the department guidelines at http://brocku.ca/socialsciences/departments-and-centres/cpcf/student-success/essay-style-guidelines Plagiarism: research papers are to adhere to rules of Brock University's policy on academic misconduct. Please consult the documents at the end of the syllabus to familiarize yourself with the information provided by the department and links to the policy in the Undergraduate Calendar. Also, you MUST attach a "Pledge of Academic Integrity" form to your research paper, this form can be found at the end of the syllabus Take-home exam - 25%: The take-home exam format and questions will be given in-class on Monday, December 5th in lecture. Students should expect to be tested on their ability to demonstrate that they have worked towards the course objectives listed above. Students should expect to build on the skills developed through the weekly reflections as well as the position paper to answer a series of questions. The exam will test students on required films, required readings, and lecture materials. Recommended readings and recommended films are important materials for the research essay and for advancing knowledge of contemporary film theory in various contexts, but, unless presented by the instructor in lecture materials or lecture clips, these recommended materials will not be on the exam. NOTE: students must be in lecture on Monday, December 5th to receive a take-home exam unless there are urgent medical or emergency reasons for their absence (with appropriate documentation).

Course Outline à WEEK 1 (Sep. 7): Introduction to Contemporary Film Theory Reading: Rodowick, "An Elegy for Theory" *[TFTR] Turvey, "Theory, Philosophy, and Film Studies…" *[TFTR] Screening: Last Year at Marienbad (Resnais 1961)

à WEEK 2 (Sep. 12 & 14): Semiotics and Structuralism Reading: Metz, "The Cinema: Language or Language System?" [TFTR] Wollen, "The Semiology of the Cinema" [TFTR] Recommended reading: Prince, "The Discourse of Pictures: Iconicity and Film Studies" Screening: Made in U.S.A (Godard 1966) Recommended films: Pierrot le Fou (Godard 1965) & Weekend (Godard 1967)

à WEEK 3 (Sep. 19 & 21): Psychoanalysis, Suture, and Apparatus Theory Reading: Baudry, "Ideological Effects of the Basic Cinematographic Apparatus" *[ONLINE] Dayan, "The Tutor-Code of Classical Cinema" *[ONLINE] Recommended reading: Baudry, "The Apparatus: Metapsychological Approaches…" Silverman, "Suture," in The Subject of Semiotics Metz, "Identification, Mirror," "The Passion of Perceiving," & "Disavowal, Fetishism" in The Imaginary Signifier Screening: Casablanca (Curtiz 1942) Recommended films: High Noon (Zinnemann 1952) & Rear Window (Hitchcock 1954)

àWEEK 4 (Sep. 26 & 28): Psychoanalysis, Feminism, Gender Reading: Mulvey, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" *[TFTR] Kaplan, "Is the Gaze Male?" *[TFTR] Recommended reading: de Laurentis, "The Technology of Gender" in The Technologies of Gender Screening: Vertigo (Hitchcock 1958) Recommended films: Out of the Past (Tourneur 1947) & Home from the Hill (Minnelli 1960)

à WEEK 5 (Oct. 3 & 5): Psychoanalysis, Feminism, Gender, Race Reading: hooks, "The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators" *[TFTR] Diawara, "Black Spectatorship…" *[ONLINE] Recommended reading: Mulvey, "Afterthoughts on ‘Visual Pleasure…" *[TFTR] Diawara, "Black American Cinema: The New Realism" Screening: Boyz n the Hood (Singleton 1991) Recommended films: She's Gotta Have It (Lee 1986) & Daughters of the Dust (Dash 1991)

***** READING WEEK – October 10 to 14 ***** àWEEK 6 (Oct. 17 & 19): Post-Theory & Cognitive Film Theory Reading: Prince, "Psychoanalytic Film Theory and the Problem…" *[ONLINE] Bordwell, "Cognition and Comprehension: Viewing and Forgetting…" *[ONLINE] Recommended reading: Carroll, "Prospects for Film Theory: A Personal Assessment" in Post-Theory Bordwell, "Contemporary Film Studies and the Vicissitudes…" in Post-Theory

Screening: The Usual Suspects (Singer 1995) Recommended films: Mildred Pierce (Curtiz 1945) & Memento (Nolan 2000)

à WEEK 7 (Oct. 24 & 26): Deleuze and Film-Philosophy Reading: Deleuze, "Recapitulation of Images and Signs" *[TFTR] Deleuze, "Preface to the English Edition" & "Theses on Movement" *[ONLINE] Recommended reading: Bogue, Deleuze on Cinema & Rodowick, Gilles Deleuze's Time Machine Screening: The Mirror (Tarkovsky 1975) Recommended films: Umberto D. (de Sica 1952) & L'Avventura (Antonioni 1960)

à WEEK 8 (Oct. 31 & Nov. 2): Phenomenology and Materiality Reading: Sobchack, "Introduction" & "What My Fingers Knew…" *[ONLINE] Recommended readings: Barker, The Tactile Eye Screening: The Piano (Campion 1993) Recommended films: Eraserhead (Lynch 1977) & Black Swan (Aronofsky 2010) ***IMPORTANT: the last day to withdraw without academic penalty is November 8

à WEEK 9 (Nov. 7 & 9): Film and/as Memory Reading: Kilbourn, "Cinema, Memory, Modernity: The Return of Film…" *[ONLINE] Recommended reading: Pence, "Postcinema/Postmemory" in Memory and Popular Film Kilbourn, "The 'Crisis' of Memory…" in Cinema, Memory, Modernity Screening: 2046 (Wong Kar Wai 2004) Recommended films: Orpheus (Cocteau 1950) & Self/less (Singh 2015)

à WEEK 10 (Nov. 14 & 16): Theories of Affect and Form Reading: Brinkema, "Preface" & "Chapter One" *[ONLINE] Recommended reading: del Rio, Deleuze and the Cinemas of Performance

Screening: Murder, My Sweet (Dmytryk 1944) & Lemon (Frampton 1969) Recommended films: The Tarnished Angels (Sirk 1957) & Psycho (Hitchcock 1960)

à WEEK 11 (Nov. 21 & 23): The Digital Turn and the Question of the Index Reading: Manovich, "Digital Cinema and the History of the Moving Image" *[TFTR] Gunning, "Moving Away from the Index: Cinema and the Impression" *[TFTR] Recommended reading: Prince, "True Lies: Perceptual Realism, Digital Images, and Film Theory" Rosen, Change Mummified Screening: Hugo (Scorsese 2011) Recommended films: Forrest Gump (Zemeckis 1994) & The Wolf of Wall Street (Scorsese 2013)

à WEEK 12 (Nov. 28 & 30): The Digital Turn and the "End" of Cinema? Reading: Friedberg, "The End of Cinema: Multimedia and Technological Change" *[TFTR] Belton, "Digital Cinema: A False Revolution" *[TFTR] Recommended reading: Rodowick, The Virtual Life of Film & Cubitt, The Cinema Effect Screening: Transcendence (Pfister 2014) Recommended films: Interstellar (Nolan 2014) & The Revenant (Iñárritu 2015)

à Final Day of Class (Dec. 5): Review The take-home exam will be discussed and distributed

Additional References NOTE: This section may be a helpful place of departure for research papers as well as offering additional resources to guide learning and thinking. The references within the sections below reflect key texts, but are by no means exhaustive. Therefore, research papers should explore additional works beyond the selection below. General Baudry, Leo, & Marshall Cohen, eds. Film Theory & Criticism. [newest addition available]. New York: Oxford University Press. Branigan, Edward, & Warren Buckland, eds. The Routledge Encyclopedia of Film Theory. New York: Routledge. Buckland, Warren, ed. (2009). Film Theory and Contemporary Hollywood Movies. New York: Routledge. Casetti, Francesco. (1999). Theories of Cinema 1945 - 1995. Austin, TX: University of Texas. Colman, Felicity. (2014). Film Theory: Creating a Cinematic Grammar. New York: Wallflower Press. Nichols, Bill, ed. (1976). Movies and Methods. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Nichols, Bill, ed. (1985). Movies and Methods, Vol. II. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Rodowick, D. N. (1994). The Crisis of Political Modernism: Criticism and Ideology in Contemporary Film Theory, Second Edition. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Stam, Robert. (2000). Film Theory: An Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell. Stam, Robert, & Toby Miller, eds. (2000). Film and Theory an Anthology. Malden, MA: Blackwell. Semiotics & Psychoanalysis Metz, Christian. (1974). Film Language: A Semiotics of the Cinema. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press. Metz, Christian. (1977). The Imaginary Signifier: Psychoanalysis and the Cinema. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. Stam, Robert, Robert Burgoyne, & Sandy Flitterman-Lewis. (1992). New Vocabularies in Film Semiotics. New York: Routledge. Wollen, Peter. (2013). Signs and Meaning in the Cinema, Fifth Edition. London, UK: BFI. Psychoanalysis: Contemporary Movements Flisfeder, Matthew. (2012). The Symbolic, The Sublime, and Slavoj Žižek's Theory of Film. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. McGowan, Todd, & Shelia Kunkle, eds. (2004). Lacan and Contemporary Film. New York: Other Press. McGowan, Todd. (2007). The Real Gaze: Film Theory after Lacan. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. Žižek, Slavoj. (2001). The Fright of Real Tears: Krzysztof Kieslowski Between Theory and PostTheory. London, UK: BFI. Žižek, Slavoj, ed. (2010). Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Lacan But Were Afraid to Ask Hitchcock. New York: Verso.

Gender, Race, Sex, & Class de Laurentis, Teresa. (1987). Technologies of Gender: Essays on Theory, Film, and Fiction. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. Doane, Mary Ann. (1987). The Desire to Desire: The Woman's Films of the 1940s. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. hooks, bell. (1996). Reel to Real: Race, class and sex at the movies. New York: Routledge. Mayne, Judith. (1990). The Woman at the Keyhole: Feminism and Women's Cinema. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. Mulvey, Laura. (1989). Visual and Other Pleasures. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Rizzo, Teresa. (2012). Deleuze and Film: A Feminist Introduction. New York: Continuum. Rodowick, D. N. (1991). The Difficulty of Difference. New York: Routledge. Silverman, Kaja. (1988). The Acoustic Mirror: The Female Voice in Psychoanalysis and Cinema. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. Cognitive Theory and Post-Theory Bordwell, David. (2008). The Poetics of Cinema. New York: Routledge. Bordwell, David, & Noel Carroll, eds. (1996). Post-Theory: Reconstructing Film Studies. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press. Branigan, Edward. (1992). Narrative Comprehension and Film. New York: Routledge. Carroll, Noel. (2008). The Philosophy of Motion Pictures. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. Carroll, Noel. (1996). Theorizing the Moving Image. New York: Cambridge University Press. Film Philosophy Bogue, Ronald. (2003). Deleuze on Cinema. New York: Routledge. Cavell, Stanley. (1979). The World Viewed. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Deleuze, Gilles. (2005). Cinema 1. New York: Continuum. Deleuze, Gilles. (2005). Cinema 2. New York: Continuum. Flaxman, Gregory, ed. (2000). The Brain is the Screen. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. Livingston, Paisley, & Carl Plantinga, eds. (2011). The Routledge Companion to Philosophy and Film. New York: Routledge. Rodowick, D. N. (2014). Elegy for Theory. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Rodowick, D. N. (1997). Gilles Deleuze's Time Machine. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Rodowick, D. N. (2015). Philosophy's Artful Conversation. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Vaughan, Hunter. (2013). Where Film Meets Philosophy. New York: Columbia University Press. Phenomenology, Materiality, & Theories of Affect: Barker, Jennifer M. (2009). The Tactile Eye: Touch and the Cinematic Experience. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Brinkema, Eugenie. (2014). The Forms of the Affects. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. del Rio, Elena. (2008). Deleuze and The Cinemas of Performance: Powers of Affection. Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh University Press.

Marks, Laura U. (2002). Touch: Sensuous Theory and Multisensory Media. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. Marks, Laura U. (2000). The Skin of the Film: Intercultural Cinema, Embodiment, and the Senses. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Shaviro, Steven. (2010). Post-Cinematic Affect. Winchester, UK: Zero Books. Shaviro, Steven. (1993). The Cinematic Body. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. Sobchack, Vivian. (1992). The Address of the Eye: A Phenomenology of Film Experience. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Sobchack, Vivian. (2004). Carnal Thoughts: Embodiment and Moving Image Culture. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Memory Cook, Pam. (2005). Screening the Past: Memory and Nostalgia in Cinema. New York: Routledge. Grainge, Paul, ed. (2003). Memory and Popular Film. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press. Kilbourn, Russell J. A. (20 ). Cinema, Memory, Modernity: The Representation of Memory from the Art Film to Transnational Cinema. New York: Routledge. Landsberg, Alison. (2004). Prosthetic Memory: The Transformation of American Remembrance in the Age of Mass Culture. New York: Columbia University Press. Tarkovsky, Andrey. (1986). Sculpting in Time. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. The Digital Turn & Cinematic Futures Andrew, Dudley. (2010). What Cinema Is! Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. Bazin, André. (2014). André Bazin's New Media. Ed. Dudley Andrew. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Brown, William. (2013). Film-Philosophy for the Digital Age: Supercinema. New York: Berghahn Books. Cubitt, Sean. (2005). The Cinema Effect. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Cubitt, Sean. (2014). The Practice of Light: A Genealogy of Visual Technologies from Prints to Pixels. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Hadjioannou, Markos. (2012). From Light to Byte: Toward an Ethics of Digital Cinema. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. Manovich, Lev. (2001). The Language of New Media. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Rodowick, D. N. (2001). Reading the Figural, or, Philosophy After the New Media. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Rodowick, D. N. (2007). The Virtual Life of Film. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Rosen, Philip. (2001). Change Mummified: Cinema, History, Theory. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. Stewart, Garrett. (2007). Framed Time: Toward a Postfilmic Cinema. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Stewart, Garrett. (1999). Between Film and Screen: Modernism's Photo Synthesis. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film Pledge of Academic Integrity Your assignment will not be graded unless this form is attached.

I, the undersigned, understand that all the following practices constitute academic misconduct according to Brock University’s policy on academic misconduct and general academic practice: Quoting someone else’s words without using quotation marks Quoting someone else’s words without acknowledging the source Using someone else’s ideas in my own words without acknowledging the source Using someone else’s argument in my own words without acknowledging the source

Fabricating data or sources of information for an assignment, bibliography, or list of works cited Having or employing someone else to write all or part of my assignment, or do all or some of the preparatory work for me. There are two exceptions to this rule: I may have or employ someone to type the final assignment or make editorial comments. However, I take full responsibility for any errors introduced by a typist or editor. Allowing another student to use material from my assignment when drafting his or her own assignment Writing all or part of an assignment for another student, or doing all or some of the preparatory work for him or her. Such preparatory work includes (but is not limited to) reading and note-taking from required books and articles. Submitting any work for credit in two or more courses. I confirm that I have not committed any form of academic misconduct. Name (please print): Signature: Date:



Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film

Statement on Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct is a serious offence. The principle of academic integrity, particularly of doing one’s own work, documenting properly (including use of quotation marks, appropriate paraphrasing and referencing/citation), collaborating appropriately, and avoiding misrepresentation, is a core principle in university study. Students should consult Section VII, “Academic Misconduct“, in the “Academic Regulations and University Policies" entry in the Undergraduate Calendar, available at brocku.ca/webcal, to view a fuller description of prohibited actions, and the procedures and penalties which may be applied.

Academic misconduct includes plagiarism (presenting the words and ideas of another person as if they were your own), submitting the same work for two different assignments, and other forms of cheating such as using crib notes during a test or fabricating data for a lab assignment. Instructors and teaching assistants in the Department thoroughly investigate all suspected cases of academic misconduct.

The penalties for documented cases of academic misconduct can be severe. The Department may recommend that a grade of zero be given for the assignment, and a failing grade if not a grade of zero be given for the course. In addition, a note will be attached to the student’s academic transcript. A second offense can result in suspension from the University. The disciplinary process is administered initially at the Department level and in cases where academic penalty is assigned will be referred to the offices of the Dean of Social Sciences. Make yourself aware of the issues involved. Read the section of the Undergraduate Calendar that pertains to academic misconduct. You are reminded that the Student Development Centre (Schmon Tower, Room 400) offers workshops on writing skills, and issues surrounding plagiarism.

For further information on all aspects of your academic program, including course planning, you may consult with the Department’s Academic Advisor:

Penni Lafleur, SBH 344, ext. 5308 , [email protected]>

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