Film Studies BA (Hons)

The aim of the course is to give you grounding in analytical skills, an appreciation of the significance of film as a medium, and an ability to write about film in an accessible and well informed way for different audiences and different purposes.

Furthermore, the course will introduce you to the basic components of the audiovisual ‘language’ which film uses to communicate with its audience, and to the methods that you should use when analysing how any one film uses this language. We will look at a wide variety of films selected for their particularly innovative or influential treatment of different aspects of this ‘language’.

This module explores the ways in which films circulate and make meaning (in sites beyond Hollywood and outside the mainstream distribution channels associated with European and US films). It responds to the ways in which we understand film today and explores theories and histories that reflect the ways in which films inform, represent and participate in cultures.

The aim of this course is to introduce you to key theoretical and conceptual debates within Film Studies. It will develop your ability to apply these concepts to close readings of film texts and, in doing so, enhance your skills of critical analysis and independent thinking.

This module introduces students to the use and role of music in a range of audio-visual media. It focuses specifically on the sound and music of mainstream narrative cinema, as the lead expression in contemporary audio-visual media and one that has shaped this aspect of other artforms, such as television and videogames. From the relationship between music and early moving pictures, to the importance of re-using popular musics to score gender or sexuality in the modern Hollywood blockbuster, the module considers both the historical practicalities of sound and music in cinema and some of the key critical ideologies that have been shaped by and shaped the soundtracks of film. Through a focus on key case studies and fundamental theories, students will acquire a firm grounding in the history, nature, and critical discussion of the function of sound and music in film specifically, and audio-visual media more generally. The module is delivered in a manner designed to be equally accessible to students from a non-Music background.

This module introduces students to basic research skills in film through an individual project on a named film, which will exercise students’ understanding of the methods and concepts taught in the core modules on the course.  

This is an introduction to issues and concepts surrounding media and communication industries and institutions. The module gives students exposure to core and current debates and issues such as the political economy of media, relations with power and regulation, and processes of globalisation, digitalisation and conglomeration. Students will learn about creative roles and the practices and lived experiences of professional media workers, including the process of conceiving and developing media texts. Successful students will be able to critically consider media and communication studies with an emphasis on its industries and institutions.

This module is the compulsory language module for all students enrolled in degree programmes aiming for a qualification in French. It is the first stage of a four-year learning curve and is preparation for the following year (FREN207 and FREN208).

This module is mapped against B1+ level in French according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This compulsory language module for all students aiming for a qualification in German is designed for students who have an A-level in German, but it is also open to other students as an additional subject or as part of the Erasmus scheme. It aims to provide students with good competence in reading, writing, listening, speaking and grammar through both lessons and independent project work. Students will be introduced to basic translation and interpreting skills during grammar lessons. Students may also benefit from extracurricular activities organised by a native speaker intern, the German Society and a conversation exchange organised through the Modern languages resource centre. It is also the preparation for the following year (GRMN207 and GRMN208).

This intermediate language module builds on existing Italian language skills. The focus is on all four areas of language competence (grammar, written, listening and oral).

This module is mapped against B1+ level in Italian according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This module is mapped against B1+ level in Spanish according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

The aim of the module is to work towards the expansion of the student’s already existent knowledge of Spanish language. Furthermore, the module places special emphasis on conversational fluency, grammatical accuracy and vocabulary acquisition. Students will receive three contact hours a week divided into two hours of integrated skills language seminars plus a one hour lab session of practical skills (listening and conversation) per week. In addition, students are expected to undertake regular independent language learning for which they will provided with materials and guidance via the University’s Virtual Learning Environment: VITAL/Canvas.​

Beginners’ Basque 1+2 equips the students with the skills needed to start communicating in Basque. It covers basic grammar structures and vocabulary and lays a solid foundation for further study. The course includes as well an introduction to a variety of aspects of Basque culture.

The principal aim of this module is to achieve greater proficiency in written and speaking Catalan and to provide a solid grammatical foundation.

The student will also have the opportunity to achieve an extra qualification by taking the International Catalan Certificate issued by the Institut Ramon Llull and held at the University of Liverpool.

This module offers absolute beginners a comprehensive overview of essential Chinese language functions and related cultural knowledge to develop basic competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking Chinese, and cultural sensitivity and awareness. You are expected to be active and engaged participants in the themed language classes. Computer, projector plus internet are used in on-campus class to enhance learning; Team, Zoom and other online tools are used in online classes to ensure the student learning experience under the circumstance of remote teaching/learning. Homework and self-study material is assigned weekly and is a must to achieve the expected learning outcome. Along with instructions in class, you will be given various teaching/self-learning material on Canvas ( The digital learning platform at University of Liverpool) to foster autonomy in learning the language and culture after class.

This French language module is designed for first year undergraduate students . It is for absolute beginners or students with very limited knowledge of the language. No previous knowledge of French is required. Through a variety of methods students will develop a basic competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking French and an understanding of basic French grammar.
At the end of this 12 week- module students will be able to carry out simple everyday tasks in French. Students will be able to understand and use familiar everyday expressions and basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. They will be able to introduce themselves and others and ask and answer questions about personal details. They will be able to interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly. They will have a basic understanding of significant aspects of life and culture of the country and intercultural skills necessary for their language proficiency level. This module is mapped against A1 level in French according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This fast-track, intensive German language module is for complete beginners. No previous knowledge of German is required. It aims to provide students with basic competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking German and with a sound understanding of basic German grammar. On completion, students will have reached an A1+ proficiency level in the Common European Framework of Reference.

This module is an introductory module in Italian language and will cover grammar basic aspects like noun gender and number, articles, the present and perfect tense, modal verbs, prepositions and direct pronouns.
The topics covered will include:

Personal information;

Family life;

Education and university life.

This introductory Portuguese language module offers absolute beginners a comprehensive overview of basic grammatical functions and linguistic skills that will provide students with basic competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking Portuguese at A1+/A2 level according the Common European Framework of Reference.

An intensive course for those who have not studied Spanish before. Through a variety of methods, students will be provided with basic competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking Spanish. Students are expected to reach a level equivalent to that of level A1.

This module explores contemporary issues and debates through considering global relationships in the past and how they have shaped the world in which we live. In light of the tremendous impact that modern imperialism and colonialism have had in shaping our world, the module focuses, in particular, on questions relating to race, empire and their legacies.

By exploring some of the ways in which historical investigation enriches urgent contemporary debates, the module aims to introduce students to a range of new ways of approaching the past, both in terms of subject matter and of new approaches to history, and to broaden their historical understanding of both western and non-western history (or what scholars refer to as the ‘Global North’ and ‘Global South’) and the myriad connections between them. In addition, therefore, to preparing students for the range of subject matter, geographical areas and approaches that they will be able to study in the second and third years of their History degree programme, this module also aims to make students better global citizens.

This module introduces students to a key skill in literary study, that of precise and informed analysis of text (close reading).

Stylistics is concerned with the language of literature in the broadest sense of the word: ranging from poems and novels to advertisements and political slogans. In this module students will seek linguistic answers for some of the most essential questions in the study of texts, such as: Why do some kinds of language use grab readers’ attention more than others? What tools do writers employ to mediate the speech and thought of other people? How do metaphors shape our understanding of the world? The concepts covered on this module form a solid foundation for further language study at levels 2 and 3.

This module will give students foundational knowledge about ways that communication, media, and culture can be systematically and critically analysed: students will learn about key concepts and theories from the field of media and communication studies and about how these are applied as tools for analysis. The module offers examples of the craft of social scientific and anthropological research, as well as cultural studies. These will be analytical approaches that students can subsequently use in the course of their studies.

This module is a compulsory language module for all students enrolled in degree programmes aiming for a qualification in French. It is the first stage of a four-year learning curve and is thus preparation for the following year (FREN207 and FREN208).

This module is designed for students with A-level German or equivalent who have successfully completed GRMN105. In this module, skills acquired in semester one will be improved and enhanced in semester two. Students will read a book in German and discuss it in an oral exam. Students will also improve their knowledge of German grammar further and have access to the languages lab for listening comprehension. The module also prepares students for GRMN207 and GRMN208 in second year. Students may benefit from extracurricular activities organised by a native speaker intern, the German Society and a conversation exchange organised through our Modern languages resource centre. Students will continue practicing their basic translating and interpreting skills.

This intermediate language module builds on the existing Italian language skills developed in semester one. The focus is on all areas of language competence (grammar, written, listening and oral).

This module is mapped against B2- level in Italian according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This module is mapped against B2- level in Spanish according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This is a first year advanced language course taught in the second semester where students attend seminars and practical sessions in small groups and focus on spoken and written Spanish. The aim is to work towards the expansion of the student’s already existent knowledge of Spanish language. Furthermore, the module places special emphasis on conversational fluency, grammatical accuracy and vocabulary acquisition. Students will receive three contact hours a week divided into two hours of integrated skills language seminars plus a one hour lab session of practical skills (listening and conversation) per week. In addition, students are expected to undertake regular independent language learning for which they will provided with materials and guidance via Canvas.

Elementary Basque 3+4 takes the students up to the A2 Breakthrough level of the CEFRL by widening the range of grammar structures and vocabulary to be acquired and so enhancing their receptive and productive skills. The course materials keep introducing the students to a wide variety of aspects of Basque culture.

This module is mapped against A2 level in Catalan according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This is an introductory intensive module which aims to provide students with a working knowledge of modern Catalan, written and spoken, roughly at A-level standard. The student will also have the opportunity to achieve an extra qualification by taking the International Catalan Certificate issued by the Institut Ramon Llull and held at the University of Liverpool.

This module is the following module of CHIN112. It offers beginners a comprehensive overview of essential Chinese language functions and related cultural knowledge to develop basic competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking Chinese, and cultural sensitivity and awareness. You are expected to be active and engaged participants in the themed language classes. Computer, projector plus internet are used in on-campus class to enhance learning; Team, Zoom and other online tools are used in online classes to ensure the student learning experience under the circumstance of remote teaching/learning. Homework and self-study material is assigned weekly and is a must to achieve the expected learning outcome. Along with instructions in class, you will be given various teaching/self-learning material on Canvas ( The digital learning platform at University of Liverpool) to foster autonomy in learning the language and culture after class.

This module is mapped against A2 level in French according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).It is for students who have achieved a GCSE at foundation level or who have reached an A1 proficiency level in the Common European Framework. Through a variety of methods students will continue to develop basic competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking French and an understanding of basic French grammar. At the end of this 12 week- module students will be more confident to carry out all everyday tasks, they will start to be able to express their opinions about current affairs and function in many professional contexts. They will have an increased understanding of life and culture of the country and the intercultural skills necessary for their language proficiency level.

This fast-track, intensive German language module is for students with an A1 level of proficiency in the Common European Framework of Reference. It aims to provide students with a preliminary competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking German and with an understanding of intermediate German grammar. On completion, students will have reached an A2+ proficiency level in the Common European Framework of Reference.

This language module is intensive and aims to develop all the necessary skills to communicate confidently in spoken and written Italian within a range of topics, such as Italian culture and society, fashion and the "Made in Italy" industry, work and the business environment.

This module is mapped against A2 level in Italian according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This module is mapped against A2 level in Portuguese according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This module is a continuation of PORT112 and improves upon the linguistic skills acquired in that module. It offers beginners of Portuguese a comprehensive overview of basic grammatical functions and linguistic skills that will provide students with a sound competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking Portuguese.

SPAN134 is an elementary, intensive Spanish language and culture module. It aims at building language and intercultural skills, providing students with a solid understanding of the grammar, syntax, vocabulary and use of the Spanish language in context at an elementary level.

This module provides students with an introduction to modern continental European history.   It broadens their understanding by first considering factors of a general importance in the development of modern Europe, and then looking at particular events and countries.   In this way, students will be given a grasp both of broad themes in European history – such as demographics, political units, ideologies and social change – and of the specific way history unfolded in certain times and places.

Module description:
Have you ever wondered why some accents are perceived as being ‘cooler’, ‘friendlier’ or ‘uglier’ than others? Or whether there is any truth in statements such as “they speak really bad English in…” or “young people cannot write properly any more”? If so, ENGL106 Attitudes to English is the right module for you!
In this module, we will explore the concept of ‘attitude’ and how attitudinal judgements towards different aspects of language use (e.g. accents and dialects of English within the UK and overseas, gendered language, internet language, etc) come about in the history of English. We will also learn about the methods that social scientists use to explore language attitudes and how to put both theory and practice to the test by designing a mini-attitude project exercise. This mini-attitude exercise will be part of the final module assessment (40% of the final mark) and will be complemented by a take-home exam (60% of the final mark) at the end of the semester.
By taking this module, you will be exposed to different teaching styles (small and large-group teaching) and activities (e.g. critical reading and discussion of selected research articles, hands-on computer activities, out-of-university visits, in-class group-work and debate, exposure to both in-house and expert guest speakers) which will help you to not only develop an adequate understanding of key concepts and processes but also seek to enhance your:
Digital fluency: The ‘methodology block’ of the module will teach you how to navigate and use effectively on-line databases (e.g. newspaper repositories, corpora and corpus-specific software) and compile and analyse datasets both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Global citizenship: The topics explored in the module lend themselves to cross-cultural and cross-national comparisons. In fact, comparisons with other countries and/or cultures will be at the centre of the materials that we cover. You will also be encouraged to carry out comparative exercises across (inter)national contexts for your Attitudes assessed exercise.

This module will allow students to develop critical methods of reading and contextual analysis of literary texts. Lectures and tutorials will explore a range of critical methodologies (for example psychoanalysis and postcolonialism) as well as topics focused on the modes, attitudes and concerns that underlie the production of literature in relation to politics, society and culture. In doing so students will be introduced to key debates within literary study, as well as addressing topics important to different periods including issues of race, gender, sexuality, literary form, environment and economy.

This module aims to develop and challenge accepted modes of reading in order to expand and strengthen original critical enquiry while also improving students’ written, oral and digital communication skills.

This module expands upon the knowledge of film language and approaches to film develop in year one to look at theoretical and conceptual approaches to screen studies. It problematises and interrogates representational practices and their theoretical underpinnings which have reproduced certain ideological positions. With close attention to the canon, race, gender and transnational theory it introduces students to the application of theory in the discipline and highlights the importance of a critical and analytical approach to texts.

This module is an introduction to cinema from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. We will look at a wide range of genres which include Kung Fu comedies as well as Chinese independent arthouse cinema. We will get to know some of the region’s finest directors, including Jia Zhangke, Wong Kar-Wai, Ann Hui or Hou Hsiao-hsien. It develops your knowledge and understanding of the historical development of cinema in the region but also how some landmarks in the history of twentieth-century China (such as the Warlord era, the Cultural Revolution and post-Maoist reforms) are represented in filmic texts. We will discuss the role of censorship and how the mainland Chinese government finances big blockbuster productions that glorify the Communist Party. The Greater China region is becoming increasingly important for transnational cinema and we will look at how the rise of China is already transforming Hollywood. The title of the module, “Projecting China”, points not only to China’s cinematic production but also to how the ideas of “China” and “Chineseness” are projected on screen. We will become familiar with themes such as gender and sexuality, nationalism, post-colonialism and transnationalism. No prior knowledge of Chinese is required to enrol in this module.

The modern city and the cinema developed together, and as they developed they referred to each other: cities have always been a prime space for film, while many urban theorists have found it useful to think of cities as cinematic spaces. The module introduces you to cinematic ways of representing the city, through the study of a number of representative films that deal with some major metropolis.You will have the opportunity to produce your own short smartphone film of the city of Liverpool as part of a small-scale group project. This will allow you to put your ideas into practice and to reflect on the filmmaking process. No prior knowledge of practical filmmaking is required to enrol in this module.

This module explores the most significant periods and some of the major genres / films of Italian cinema from its origin to the present.

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the cinematic dimension of Spanish and Latin American cultures. You will gain an insight into the context in which contemporary cinemas have developed in Spain and Latin America, as well as gaining an awareness of the economic forces which frame the film industry in Spain and Latin America in specific areas of contemporary political and cultural life. The module will enable you to understand cinema practices and institutions in Spanish and Latin American societies. The focus of this module will be Film Festivals as an insight into how films are funded, distributed, and consumed, and what types of films are circulated for international audiences.

In this module, students will be invited to think critically about the relationship between children, culture and cinema. This module will explore how norms and expectations of children and childhood are explored cinematically. It will consider films that are specifically targeted at children and family audiences as well as films that more exclusively engage adult audiences. It will seek to investigate how children are depicted within children’s films; how children’s culture is depicted and implemented in cinema; how children’s films address diverse audiences; how adulthood and childhood are negotiated on screen; and how the child is figured as both a consumer and subject in cinema more broadly.

In this module, students will be invited to think critically about the relationship between children, culture and cinema. This module will explore how norms and expectations of children and childhood are explored cinematically. It will consider films that are specifically targeted at children and family audiences as well as films that more exclusively engage adult audiences. It will seek to investigate how children are depicted within children’s films; how children’s culture is depicted and implemented in cinema; how children’s films address diverse audiences; how adulthood and childhood are negotiated on screen; and how the child is figured as both a consumer and subject in cinema more broadly.

Students will learn how to effectively compose and arrange music for film and television. The module will cover practical issues such as: working in a software programme such as Logic Pro to compose with synchronised video clips; arranging instrumental parts using sample libraries, working with tempo, speed and appropriate harmonic languages. The coursework will involve a series of compositions to written briefs and video clips, totalling 5-8 minutes in duration. Each composition assignment will address a different challenge and style aspect of film or TV music and be accompanied by a written commentary explaining the reasons for the approach and style taken in the music.

This module examines the transformation of Hollywood cinema as a distinct mode of film practice with its own codes and conventions to a complex and multifaceted global media enterprise that now encompasses film, television, the internet and other screen-based media. With film being increasingly consumed away from the theatres, and with the talent that is involved in entertainment media circulating fluidly across different media and markets, Hollywood is not only about cinema but about a number of entertainment industries that are controlled by a handful of giant conglomerates. The module is organised in two blocks. The first block examines the key characteristics of Hollywood cinema as these were crystallised in the earlier decades of the 20th Century. Concepts such as the studio system, the classical narrative and style, modes of representation, film genres, stardom, technology and performance are discussed in detail. The second block deals with the transformations that started taking Hollywood by storm especially from the 1970s onwards, including: the emergence of the blockbuster film culture, the conglomeration of the film industry, the rise of franchise entertainment, the links to independent film production, Hollywood’s relationship to television (cable and online/streaming) and others.

This module examines the transformation of Hollywood cinema as a distinct mode of film practice with its own codes and conventions to a complex and multifaceted global media enterprise that now encompasses film, television, the internet and other screen-based media. With film being increasingly consumed away from the theatres, and with the talent that is involved in entertainment media circulating fluidly across different media and markets, Hollywood is not only about cinema but about a number of entertainment industries that are controlled by a handful of giant conglomerates. The module is organised in two blocks. The first block examines the key characteristics of Hollywood cinema as these were crystallised in the earlier decades of the 20th Century. Concepts such as the studio system, the classical narrative and style, modes of representation, film genres, stardom, technology and performance are discussed in detail. The second block deals with the transformations that started taking Hollywood by storm especially from the 1970s onwards, including: the emergence of the blockbuster film culture, the conglomeration of the film industry, the rise of franchise entertainment, the links to independent film production, Hollywood’s relationship to television (cable and online/streaming) and others.

The establishment of the UfA studios near Berlin in 1917 turned the German film industry, for at least a decade, into the major European film industry and into Hollywood’s main competitor in the world. Even through periods of crisis and turmoil, the German industry has remained an important site of creativity and German films have continued to garner international acclaim. This module provides an introduction to key movements in German national cinema, from Expressionist film, with its characteristic ghosts and shadows, through the ‘new wave’ of the New German Cinema to the present. From Lang to Fassbinder, Herzog and Wenders, it also offers an opportunity to study key films by some of the most influential directors to have emerged from the German speaking world. From Weimar film to Fassbinder’s appropriation of the melodrama of Douglas Sirk and Wenders’ turn to the ‘road movie’, the rivalry and dialogue with Hollywood also provides an important thematic strand that runs through the module.

This module introduces you to the history of French cinema, with the emphasis on the `Golden Age’ (âge d’or) of the 1930s, the `New Wave’ (Nouvelle Vague) of the 1950s/60s, and films from the 1980s to the new millennium. While studying the French cinema, you will also be practising skills related to Film Studies, from the critical analysis of film texts or `how to read a film’, to relevant theoretical approaches. The emphasis throughout is on film language, or how film constructs meaning.

Besides introducing you to a variety of remarkable and sometimes rare documentary texts, this module examines the key purposes, forms and approaches employed at different moments in the history of documentary, how documentary represents the “real world”, and notions of “truth”, ethics and audience engagement. The module also focuses on how documentary form and content can be analysed.

Besides introducing you to a variety of remarkable and sometimes rare documentary texts, this module examines the key purposes, forms and approaches employed at different moments in the history of documentary, how documentary represents the “real world”, and notions of “truth”, ethics and audience engagement. The module also focuses on how documentary form and content can be analysed.

This module examines the function and design of music in video games (including games-consoles, PCs, and smart-phone ‘apps’). It considers the historical development of music in gaming, the relationship between game-music and technological advance, and the role and function of music in different types of game (and how this dictates compositional choice). This is achieved via a combination of case-study analyses and engagement with appropriate literature and research. Delivery incorporates lectures, workshop/seminars, and directed activity. Assessment incorporates a discursive essay and a portfolio of case-study analyses. The module assumes the study and discussion of case-study examples, but is delivered and assessed in a manner which does not require technical music skills (ie notational literacy or formal analytical method).

The second-year module Immersive Media and Virtual Worlds explores the histories, theories, and industries related to the production of immersive experiences, digital technologies and virtual realities and worlds. In particular, the module will focus on video games and cinema.

​This module will explore the musical practices of film traditions outside the Anglophone world and their cultural contexts, with particular emphasis on comparisons to classical Hollywood practice. Students will develop the ability to think and write about music in audiovisual contexts. Topics will variably include East Asian films, Bollywood, North African/Middle Eastern films as well as cinemas from Europe and Latin America.

This module provides an opportunity for students to gain credit from experience acquired in a placement with a local business, public sector, voluntary organisation or cultural provider. Students will be able to apply for a place on one of a number of schemes approved by the academic departments. They receive preparation for the preplacement interview and support during training from staff in the Careers and Employability Service (CES).

A large proportion of films are based on written texts and this module will introduce you to a range of cinematic adaptations of literary works from across Modern Languages. Using adaptation theory to inform your analysis, you will have the opportunity to study excerpts from texts and consider the issues that arise from their adaptation as films. How does cinema convey a sense of the past or modify literary works from a different time period? How does it represent the gender roles which can be a central preoccupation of literature? How does film transcend language boundaries to bring modern-language texts to new audiences? On this module you will have the opportunity to explore these areas whilst also developing skills in film analysis, journalistic writing and academic writing.

This module explores the archiving, appropriation and distribution of non-mainstream moving and still images in and about the Americas, with a particular focus on Latin America. It examines a range of interactive processes with online content creation from social, institutional and personal perspectives and considers issues of archival policy, the ethics of re-appropriation and the connection between the amateur and professional and the public and private spheres.

In this module we will look at the ways in which the French narrative cinema has portrayed its own society, and the extent to which it has contributed to the general cultural understanding of that society’s history, aspirations and problems.

Queer Film, Video and Documentary explores the different ways in which ‘queers’, specifically lesbian, gay, and transgender people, have been represented in moving images, produced their own films, videos, and documentaries, and shaped reception practices, politics and moving image cultures specific to them. The module will introduce students to queer theory alongside advanced moving image analysis paying particular attention to key theoretical debates and texts in queer politics and film, video and documentary, that demarcate shifts in knowledge, representations, sexual identities, cultures, and practices related to ‘queerness’. The module will be structured around three conceptual blocks. The first block is an overview of the foundational theories, debates and concepts in queer theory including their relationship to canonical films and documentaries. The second block on the AIDS crisis addresses the historical trauma’s centrality to the development of queer theory and the politics of queer identity. The final block examines particular moments in queer moving image history from underground cinema to multiplex acceptance. 

This module examines the “independent” sector of contemporary American cinema. With the global conglomerates that control Hollywood increasingly emphasising the production of blockbusters, remakes and other films based on pre-sold properties or established franchises, it has been left to the often loosely defined independent sector of American cinema to produce original films that often push the envelope in matters of politics, aesthetics, representation and cultural commentary. This Level 3 module examines what critics have labelled American Independent with particular emphasis on three main areas of critical interest that will be explored throughout the lectures and seminars: a) the films’ industrial location; b) the formal/aesthetic strategies they adopt; and c) their relationship to the broader social, cultural, political and ideological landscape.

MODL321 gives students the option of completing a 15-credit independent Research Project module in either in Semester 1 or Semester 2.

This module gives students the opportunity to carry out independent research in an area of interest to them. The topic should be related to one of the research specialisms of members of staff in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures. Students are expected to take the initiative in planning, researching and completing the dissertation. Supervision and guidance will be provided from a member of staff in the Department.

This module explores themes in contemporary Spanish films and television, within their broader sociohistorical, political and industrial contexts. It examines the ways in which television and film respond to and to intervene in key moments, social crises and issues in contemporary Spain. As well as providing an in-depth knowledge and understanding of Spanish film and television, the module will develop an ability to apply close analysis of film and television texts, and relate this to broader theories in cultural and media studies to understand the context and significance of media texts in the shaping of public debates.

This module aims to introduce students to the history and background to Italian crime and Mafia written texts, films and other visual / media manifestations, and to the main relevant theoretical and critical approaches in the field.

With films such as Nigendwo in Afrika (Nowhere in Africa, 2001), Good Bye, Lenin! (2003) and Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others, 2005), German film has once more been greeted with international acclaim. However, in contrast to the ‘art house’ film-making of the New German Cinema of the 1960s and 1970s, today’s ‘post-Wall’ German cinema is resolutely commercial, employing genres and forms familiar to international audiences. This module offers an examination of key developments in German film since the 1990s. It traces the rise and international success of a German variant of the ‘heritage’ film in which the trauma of German history in the twentieth century – through the Third Reich, German division and the urban terrorism of the 1970s – is reimagined and mined as the source cinematic narratives. The module also explores a return to an ‘art-house’ film-making preoccupied with questions of realism and representation in the work of Andreas Dresen and the so-called Berlin School of film makers. All films are available with subtitles and the module is suitable both for students of German and students without German who are interested in film and its relation to society.

This module examines different periods of Asian cinema from the early 20th century to the latest trends in Asian blockbusters. The course looks at directors, genres and trends as well as different stages of innovation in filmmaking in Asia. We will pay close attention to how the production and consumption of filmic texts in Asia has developed across differing time periods. We will look at a variety of genres, ranging from Chinese martial arts films to popular Japanese anime and the Korean new wave. By conducting close readings of these films from East Asia in conjunction with English-language scholarly articles, students will gain competency in methodological approaches for the study of Asian cinema as well as an understanding of topics such as auteurism, gender and sexuality, nationalism, transnationalism postcolonialism and censorship.

This module explores receptions of Classical antiquity on screen. By analysing the narrative and audio-visual strategies that underpin the engagement of film and television with the history, myth, literature and material culture of ancient Greece and Rome, and examining these media products within their social and political contexts, students build understanding of the changing shape and significance of antiquity on screen over the past century. The module thus extends awareness of antiquity across the mass media and highlights the interplay between different cultural phenomena. It also sheds light on popular understandings of the Classical world in (primarily) the Western imagination.

​This module will explore the musical practices of film traditions outside the Anglophone world and their cultural contexts, with particular emphasis on comparisons to classical Hollywood practice. Students will develop the ability to think and write about music in audiovisual contexts. Topics will variably include East Asian films, Bollywood, North African/Middle Eastern films as well as cinemas from Europe and Latin America.

MODL322 gives students the option of completing a 15-credit independent Research Project module in either in Semester 1 or Semester 2.

This module gives students the opportunity to carry out independent research in an area of interest to them. The topic should be related to one of the research specialisms of members of staff in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures. Students are expected to take the initiative in planning, researching and completing the dissertation. Supervision and guidance will be provided from a member of staff in the Department.

This module gives students the opportunity to carry out independent research in an area of interest to them. The topic should be related to one of the research specialisms of members of staff in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures. Students are expected to take the initiative in planning, researching and writing the dissertation. Supervision and guidance will be provided from a member of staff in the Department.