Film & Media Studies

This is a graduate level course that is part of the Laurea Magistrale program in Cultural Anthropology. The course is intended for advanced levels students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course focuses on the history of visual anthropology and on the use of video and photographic techniques in ethnographic research. Students develop a critical view of ethnographic representation related to the use of such techniques. Through the lens of a Cinema of Anthropology, the course offers the instruments necessary for analyzing the content of the visual representation on the one hand, and on the other, the context in which visual representations are produced and received. Examples of context include: who has filmed whom, and why, and how; with what means of production; what is the role of the “director” and of the “spectator” in the filmed/screened reality; and who views these representations and how do they view them. After an introduction to specific cinema genres, the course focuses on questions of production, direction, and visual communication, within the framework of an “aesthetic of resistance” focusing on the visual representation of culture and society, through the screening of documentary films and fiction. The course reflects on the theme of the representation of diversity and on the different cinematic representations associated with anthropology (ethnographic films, documentaries, indigenous cinema). Each lecture focuses on different themes and concepts and is followed by the screening of films, videos, and clips which are then analyzed as a group. Students are encouraged to be active participants in the course through role playing, presentations, and discussions. Students are required to write a 5,000 word essay analyzing a film of their choice (with the consent of the instructor), which can then be presented in the class also as a team project. The thesis must include the concepts of the essential course texts. Students will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of the assigned texts during the final oral exam session. Alternatively, students can choose to present a short ethnographic film accompanied by a 3,000 word essay which explains the filmmaking approach and relates the ethnographic film practice to the content of the course. Finally, another option is to present a film essay - a critical analysis of one or two films that is developed through a visual presentation, with analysis of film clips in a cinematic approach. Further information on the assessment process is provided during the course. The course relies heavily on film, videos, and clips which are screened in class.

This course covers the fundamentals of news, features, and creative nonfiction writing. It also introduces photo-video journalism, and documentary filmmaking. The course explores how to: recognize good stories; interview; gather data and information; develop contacts and sources; create news and feature stories; take photographs and develop photo-essays; shoot video and make short video reports or documentaries. The course also discusses global issues and the role of global mass media.

With the divide between mass culture and high art disappearing, popular culture has become a prolific field of study. This seminar considers the many facets and dimensions of pop culture, including its cultural history and the possibilities hidden within what is often assumed to be nothing more than entertainment. Some of the topics addressed are popular culture’s reflection of discourse, its capability of criticizing or affirming the status quo, and the various modes of ideology within. The course covers all relevant pop culture representations: film, television, comic books, fiction, music, paintings etc. and discusses their significance within the historical frame of reference as well as their international social impact. Secondary texts introduce a range of theoretical perspectives through which pop culture may be explored, analyzed, questioned, and understood. The course also discusses the function of pop culture in the public sphere, its representations in texts, images, and music.

Based on brief introductions to film analysis and the history of the Weimar Republic, the course discusses a representative selection of films. In addition, the course also deals with academic texts on the films. During the seminar students analyze key scenes together as examples. Previous knowledge of film analysis is not required, but students are required to watch one film per week and read additional shorter texts.