2022/23 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

MODL3027 Post-War European Cinema: History, Politics and Aesthetics

20 creditsClass Size: 30

Module manager: Rhys Jones
Email: r.jones2@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2022/23

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

We will discuss the ethics and politics of European cinema and historical changes in the global landscape, such as the traumas of fascism, the May of ‘68, post-colonialism and the collapse of Socialism, which have influenced films produced in the continent. The course will also explore the New Extremism in European cinema.Some of the main questions we will address are: 1. What are the ethics of representation in European cinema? 2. How can historical and political changes explain the emergence of certain European film movements?3. How does European cinema respond to current political impasses?

Objectives

This module aims to:
To discuss contemporary European cinema’s response to key moments in European history.
To understand specific political and historical contexts and their influence upon the films made in Europe.
To explore historical contexts, formal characteristics, and issues of politics and aesthetics in specific European films

Learning outcomes
1) Identify and analyse the ethics and politics of representation in contemporary European cinema.
2) Recognize and evaluate key historical and critical approaches to the textual analysis and understanding of contemporary European cinema.
3) Demonstrate an understanding of the aesthetic, political and cultural dimensions of post-war European cinema.

Skills outcomes
Through its emphasis on self-directed learning and mutual responsibility, this module intends to foster the following attributes:
1. Skills in scholarly research as applied to and appropriate for the field of film studies.
2. The conceptual and organizational skills required to undertake self-directed learning.
3. The ability to understand the connection between film practice and theoretical and critical knowledge.
4. The research skills to produce an independent project.

Syllabus

This module focuses on histories and concepts in contemporary European cinema so as to examine elements of film form and aesthetics in tandem with historical and political changes.

The module begins with an examination of the state of European cinema following the end of WWII up until the present. Topics likely to be included are concentrationary cinema, the anti-fascist film, New German cinema, the essay film, slow cinema, and the New Extremism in European cinema..

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Film Screenings	20	2.00	40.00
Seminar	10	2.00	20.00
Private study hours			140.00
Total Contact hours			60.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

In addition to viewing films students will be required to:

Do the weekly reading and prepare for the seminars
Prepare small group presentations
Prepare for the two written assignments

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Student progress will be monitored on a regular basis via classroom participation, monitored group discussion and prepared presentations (formative).

Students will receive additional feedback and support when planning their assessments. The feedback from the first essay (sequence analysis) and the seminar presentations will also be formulated to assist with writing the larger end-of-module essay.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	3,000 words	60.00
Assignment	1,500 word sequence analysis	40.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 16/11/2022

Disclaimer

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