I think this was an interesting class and I learned a lot about independent documentaries in China. I would have liked to learn more about other types of documentaries in China. such as more commercialized types, but the class definitely showed me new perspectives on film that I did not know before.
Professor Laughlin is a really nice guy and is very passionate about China, especially literature. It's really helpful to go to his office to discuss paper topics because he does a good job of guiding you to form a strong thesis and find sources to support your paper.
There's 1 to 2 films to watch per week, as well as an article to give more background on the topic. I would say that this amount of outside work isn't much compared to some classes, especially since the class is only once a week.
I would recommend this class for anyone interested in film or China, and it's also a good class to use for the Chinese major capstone.