Contemporary filmmakers such as Todd Haynes and Pedro Almodóvar have produced some of their most celebrated works by reexamining the elements of an historically discredited film genre that has witnessed a passionate revival over the past twenty years of film scholarship. More than simply credible, melodrama serves as a powerful tool for the examination of interpersonal relationships both within the confines of family and the larger parameters of social communities. Most American audiences are familiar with the forays in the genre by Western directors, but filmmakers from around the world in countries such as China, India, and Greece have skillfully incorporated melodramatic elements into their work as well, as a way to examine prescient social concerns of their native lands. This series was curated in collaboration with Despina Kakoudaki, Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature, Harvard University, and features a series of introductions by noted Harvard faculty.