Exploring European cinema

What is the course about?

This online film studies course looks at a range of themes and issues in European cinema (see above), and the various ways in which it has been discussed and understood as both a key region of film production and film culture. A particular interest for the course will be the tendency to understand European cinema as an art cinema, a factor that has shaped both critical accounts and its reception in general; while there is good reason for this (as the course will illustrate), traditions of popular European cinema have tended to be accommodated by genre studies rather than being understood as part of a particular 'national' cinema with its tendency to privilege art cinema. This privileging of certain aspects of European cinema will be considered as a function of both key critical and production traditions that emerged in Europe, initially during the 1920s, a period of experimentation in the medium reflected in a series of landmark avant-garde films, and after 1945 with the emerging art cinemas of Europe which helped to establish European cinema's high cultural status. But we will also note that a number of theories of film and critical accounts of European cinema have been addressed to popular cinema and how this has formed a vital aspect of European cinema. We will also be thinking about key phases, moments and movements in the development of European cinema, from its earliest days to the present; in doing so we will view and consider a wide range of films and directors and the creation of a canon of European cinema.

Prior viewing and reading is not required. The tutor will provide a course programme at its outset, detailing subjects and films for each week, along with notes for each session and suggested further viewing and reading.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

• Art cinema (as film style and cultural function, and the issues of realism and authorship)
• Popular European cinema and genre
• National and regional cinema
• European film history
• Critical accounts of European cinema.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• Describe and evaluate art cinema as a major topic in European cinema
• Describe and evaluate the function of popular European cinema and genre
• Describe and evaluate the concepts of national and regional cinema as they relate to European cinema
• Evaluate key phases in European film history
• Evaluate European cinema with a critical framework.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

The course is suitable for all levels and you do not require any particular skills - just an enthusiasm for film and discussing film. The course will provide an introduction to the subject but will also be useful for those wishing to build on existing knowledge in the subject area.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Screenings of extracts from films, talks by the tutor, reading materials, small and large group discussions. It might also be a good idea to see what you can find out about the subject in advance of the class but this is not essential.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

You will require a pen and paper (or laptop/device) but the tutor will provide all other materials such as handouts. The tutor will show extracts from films and you do not have to obtain them.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Please look for other film studies courses on our website at www.citylit.ac.uk/history, culture & humanities/film studies.