HISTORY OF CINEMA

Degree course: 
Corso di First cycle degree in STORIA E STORIE DEL MONDO CONTEMPORANEO
Academic year when starting the degree: 
2023/2024
Year: 
2
Academic year in which the course will be held: 
2024/2025
Course type: 
Basic compulsory subjects
Language: 
Italian
Credits: 
8
Period: 
Second semester
Standard lectures hours: 
68
Detail of lecture’s hours: 
Lesson (56 hours), Seminar (12 hours)
Requirements: 

No prior knowledge is required.

Methods of assessing learning. Verification of learning of the content covered within the course will be through an oral test designed to ascertain: - the knowledge of the contents related to the course manual; - the analytical skills developed by the student with reference to the films in the program of which full viewing is planned - the knowledge and critical ability with respect to the in-depth texts provided by the lecturer regarding the monographic part of the course. The grade for the oral test (evaluated in thirtieths) will take into account the accuracy and quality of the answers (60%), as well as communication skills and the ability to adequately motivate statements, analyses and judgments (40%). The student must have achieved a total score of 18/30 to pass the learning test.

Assessment: 
Voto Finale

The course aims to provide historical, linguistic and theoretical tools useful for the knowledge and understanding of cinema at the international level, from its beginnings (late nineteenth century) to the present day, and for the reading of the cinematographic work, understood both as an aesthetic-cultural product and as an economic and social product (institutional part). The overall objective is to situate the history of cinema within the broader framework of the History of the Twentieth Century, going on to investigate how and to what extent the medium has been permeable to the political, economic, cultural and social changes that have accompanied its development. The course also includes an in-depth study of an author and/or genre and/or theme and/or historical event (monographic part) in order to understand the declinations assumed in different historical periods within cinematic representational forms. Upon completion of the teaching, the student will be able to: - recognize the main forms of expression in the history of cinema by relating them to the historical context of reference; - grasp the evolutions that have affected the cinematographic language; - analyze a cinematographic text in depth, taking into account the context of production and that of reception; - develop communicative and expository skills in the field of cinema. The teaching content is particularly functional for the learning area related to audiovisual and media storytelling.

The course is structured on three levels, which are complementary to each other: 1) Definition and analysis of methodological and theoretical issues of film history and historiography (indicatively 10 hours, institutional part) 2) Identification and stylistic-formal analysis of the main production trends in film history through the recognition of significant currents, works and authors (indicatively 38 hours, institutional part). For each era, it is proposed to identify: or the relationship with the context (political, economic, social and cultural); or the modes of reception and interpretation (also diachronically); or the repercussions on contemporary reality 3) Definition and analysis of the cinematic representation of Italy's relationship with the African imaginary: from the Italo-Turkish war to Fascist colonialism, from the processes of decolonization and reworking of colonial trauma to contemporary migration. The theme will be approached by placing historical events in dialogue with the forms of representation and interpretation developed by Italian cinema during the twentieth century (indicatively 20 hours, monographic part).

Learning Objectives. The course aims to provide historical, linguistic and theoretical tools useful for the knowledge and understanding of cinema at the international level, from its beginnings (late nineteenth century) to the present day, and for the reading of the cinematographic work, understood both as an aesthetic-cultural product and as an economic and social product (institutional part). The overall objective is to situate the history of cinema within the broader framework of the History of the Twentieth Century, going on to investigate how and to what extent the medium has been permeable to the political, economic, cultural and social changes that have accompanied its development. The course also includes an in-depth study of an author and/or genre and/or theme and/or historical event (monographic part) in order to understand the declinations assumed in different historical periods within cinematic representational forms. Upon completion of the teaching, the student will be able to: - recognize the main forms of expression in the history of cinema by relating them to the historical context of reference; - grasp the evolutions that have affected the cinematographic language; - analyze a cinematographic text in depth, taking into account the context of production and that of reception; - develop communicative and expository skills in the field of cinema. The teaching content is particularly functional for the learning area related to audiovisual and media storytelling. Prerequisites. No prior knowledge is required. Contents. The course is structured on three levels, which are complementary to each other: 1) Definition and analysis of methodological and theoretical issues of film history and historiography (indicatively 10 hours, institutional part) 2) Identification and stylistic-formal analysis of the main production trends in film history through the recognition of significant currents, works and authors (indicatively 38 hours, institutional part). For each era, it is proposed to identify: or the relationship with the context (political, economic, social and cultural); or the modes of reception and interpretation (also diachronically); or the repercussions on contemporary reality 3) Definition and analysis of the cinematic representation of Italy's relationship with the African imaginary: from the Italo-Turkish war to Fascist colonialism, from the processes of decolonization and reworking of colonial trauma to contemporary migration. The theme will be approached by placing historical events in dialogue with the forms of representation and interpretation developed by Italian cinema during the twentieth century (indicatively 20 hours, monographic part). Teaching Methods. The educational objectives of the course will be achieved through: - classical lectures, supported by the viewing and analysis of significant scenes and sequences from representative films; - interdisciplinary seminars in crossover mode (for a maximum of 12 hours) with the participation of other course lecturers, in order to deepen, understand and interpret the topics covered through different keys of interpretation; - educational outing aimed at field testing of forms of storytelling and appreciation of film history. Methods of assessing learning. Verification of learning of the content covered within the course will be through an oral test designed to ascertain: - the knowledge of the contents related to the course manual; - the analytical skills developed by the student with reference to the films in the program of which full viewing is planned - the knowledge and critical ability with respect to the in-depth texts provided by the lecturer regarding the monographic part of the course. The grade for the oral test (evaluated in thirtieths) will take into account the accuracy and quality of the answers (60%), as well as communication skills and the ability to adequately motivate statements, analyses and judgments (40%). The student must have achieved a

Convenzionale

The educational objectives of the course will be achieved through: - classical lectures, supported by the viewing and analysis of significant scenes and sequences from representative films; - interdisciplinary seminars in crossover mode (for a maximum of 12 hours) with the participation of other course lecturers, in order to deepen, understand and interpret the topics covered through different keys of interpretation; - educational outing aimed at field testing of forms of storytelling and appreciation of film history.

The lecturer receives students by appointment, to be arranged by writing to m.piredda@uninsubria.it, at Rossi Pavilion or online according to specific needs.