(Group A) European Directors
Delivery: Distance Learning (Online)
This optional module introduces students to some of the major European directors across both art cinema and popular mainstream cinema. Students will study these directors in the historical, cultural and economic context of the director's national cinema, and will consider how these directors work within - and also, where appropriate, beyond - the framework and confines of their national cinema. The module will also question the notion of the auteur in both the context of popular and art cinema.
Deadlines
Applications to the Film MA Programme from new students: Thursday 31st July 2008
Module registration for all new students: Friday 5th September 2008
Module registration for existing students (Group A): Monday 1st September 2008
Module registration for existing students (Group B): Friday 5th September 2008
Module overview
Tutor details
How to apply
Course preparation
Learning Outcomes
During the course of this module, students will:
Module Specific Skills
- Aquire knowledge of the film work of some of Europe’s leading postwar filmmakers (whether art cinema or popular);
- Learn how to approach the oeuvre of the selected filmmakers, in terms of their major preoccupations (aesthetically and contextually speaking) and the ways in which their cinema reflects a national consciousness;
Discipline Specific Skills
- Show the capacity to analyse films from an historical perspective and in ways that take aesthetic, institutional and cultural factors and methodological issues into account;
- Access and use, in a critical manner, visual, printed and electronic learning resources identified as useful by the module tutor, and other materials found independently;
- Mount a detailed argument in the appropriate register of English, using a range of textual and contextual evidence in its support;
- Apply and evaluate a range of critical approaches to the topic covered;
Personal and Key Skills
- Undertake research activities with a measure of autonomy;
- Present information and arguments on a particular topic in an online discussion forum;
- Contribute to an online discussion;
- Research, plan and write an essay to a specified length and deadline;
- Demonstrate independent and critical thinking.
Learning / Teaching Methods
This module is delivered via an online virtual learning environment called WebCT. Students will be given a username and password to log in to the course and a 'unit' of course material will be released every fortnight for students to work through. The course material will ask students to view relevant films - these are not provided as part of the course material, but readings from text books and journals will be made available for students to download.
Class discussions on the course material will then take place in the online forum. Students are expected to participate with tutors and each other in these discussions and students are required to post responses to questions set by the module tutors in the forum as part of their assessment. These questions will be based on the set reading and viewing. Class discussions are asynchronous - i.e. students do not need to be online at a 'set' time - they can leave and collect messages at a time suitable for them. Essay consultation takes place with the relevant tutor by telephone, internet phone (e.g. Skype), e-mail or via the discussion forum for this module.
A chat room facility is also available. This is optional, but it enables students to communicate with each other 'instantly' if they would like more immediate contact with others studying this subject.
Assessment
To gain credits for this module, students will be marked on the following assessments:
- One essay of 5000 words (90% of module mark). The essay must be on a director (or directors) selected from those studied during this module.
- Participation in the discussion forum (10% of module mark).
