Modules | Department of Languages, Cultures and Film

Modern Languages and Cultures

The information contained in this module specification was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change, either during the session because of unforeseen circumstances, or following review of the module at the end of the session. Queries about the module should be directed to the member of staff with responsibility for the module.

Title	WORLD CINEMAS
Code	FILM501
Coordinator	Dr DWR Brown Languages, Cultures and Film D.W.R.Brown@liverpool.ac.uk
Year	CATS Level	Semester	CATS Value
Session 2025-26	Level 7 FHEQ	First Semester	30

Pre-requisites before taking this module (other modules and/or general educational/academic requirements):

Modules for which this module is a pre-requisite:

Co-requisite modules:

Teaching Schedule

	Lectures	Seminars	Tutorials	Lab Practicals	Fieldwork Placement	Other	TOTAL
Study Hours		24					24
Timetable (if known)
Private Study							276
TOTAL HOURS							300

Assessment
EXAM	Duration	Timing (Semester)	% of final mark	Resit/resubmission opportunity	Penalty for late submission	Notes

CONTINUOUS	Duration	Timing (Semester)	% of final mark	Resit/resubmission opportunity	Penalty for late submission	Notes
Standard UoL penalties will apply. There will be a resit opportunity. This will be marked anonymously.	0		90
Standard UoL penalties will apply. There will be a resit opportunity. This cannot be marked anonymously.	5		10

Aims

Introduce students to the key conceptual and methodological approaches in the analysis of World Cinema;

Introduce students to key developments in cinema history as regards style, social and political contexts, and film movements;

Articulate the relations between various examples of world cinema, drawing connections between different time periods and genres;

Identify appropriate primary and secondary sources for the study of world cinemas, and engage with them in appropriate ways in class discussions and essays;

Productively compare and contrast cinema cultures diachronically and synchronically;

Undertake sequence analyses of films, incorporating the analysis into broader arguments about cinema history and style;

Design, research and write a 3500-word essay on world cinema, under the guidance of the module tutor.

Learning Outcomes
(LO1) Students will show an understanding of global film histories and cultures, appropriate to MA level in the field of Film Studies.
(LO2) Students will have the ability to critically evaluate relevant critical and theoretical texts from the field of film studies.
(LO3) Students will be able to analyse the style and form of a) broad film movements and b) localized film techniques.
(LO4) Students will be able to make connections between different examples of global film cultures.
(LO5) Students will have an understanding of cinema as a transnational, transcultural art form.
(LO6) Students will show an understanding of the social and political contexts in which films are made, historically and in the present.
(S1) Critical thinking and problem solving - critical analysis.
(S2) Communication (written and visual) - academic writing (including referencing skills).
(S3) Communication (oral and visual) - academic writing (including referencing skills).
(S4) Global citizenship - cultural awareness.
(S5) Research skills – analysis of theoretical and critical literature.
(S6) Close reading and film analysis.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

The majority of teaching will be delivered face-to-face on campus. Online delivery will be used to complement the on-campus delivery and where technology affords a better learning experience.

The module will be taught via weekly two-hour seminars and strategies employed will include presentations by teaching staff and students, group discussions, and small
group work.

Building on material of the seminars, students do their own independent research (reading and viewing) and prepare and produce the assignments by which the module is assessed.

Syllabus

Topics covered may include:

Concepts and methods;

Reading World Cinema;

Film movements in Europe and Beyond (historical and contemporary)
For example:

Silent Film;

1930s Germany;

1940s Hollywood and genre;

1950s (Egyptian) Noir;

French New Wave;

Italian Neo-realism;

Social realism and Sub-Saharan Africa;

Sudanese experimental cinema 1970s;

Chinese arthouse 1980s;

Global queer cinema;

Catalan documentaries/gallery films 2000s;

Transnational;

World cinema.

Recommended Texts
Reading lists are managed at readinglists.liverpool.ac.uk. Click here to access the reading lists for this module.