The period that extends from 1967 till the end of the 70's is usually regarded as a "Golden Age" of American cinema. During this period a young generation of filmmakers achieved an extraordinary amount of freedom that enabled stylistic and thematic daring. This course will offer a close examination of this period – from its beginning till its end. The major filmmakers - Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Robert Altman, Brian de Palma, Terrence Malick, Peter Bogdanovich, Hal Ashby – will be assessed as representatives of the era's major trends be it cinematic, cultural or political. We will also examine the reciprocal relations between commercial and artistic cinema, and between the mainstream and peripheral filmmaking.