Description

The course should be of interest to both cinema-studies students, and those interested in continuing, and certainly deepening, their documentary film practice. The course encourages documentary film artist-practitioners, and, making will be informed by history and theory, and visa-versa.

Documentary cinema embodies an incredibly wide area of production within its distinguished history. Parallel with the development of a documentary film production, the aim of this course is to deepen students understanding of the history of documentary cinema and to many of the films and types of films that have contributed to that history, as well as to survey the development of documentary film theory, and to do so from a perspective that accounts for the cinematic art produced within this rich cinematic tradition. Aiming to blend theory and practice, the course will support the following thesis: films are texts that we read, and we should consider even academic writing as possibly taking shape in a cinematic form. Filmmaking, here, is intellectual, as well as creative work.

From the first meeting, the film production part of the course will be developed in dialogue with the historical and theoretical components. In this advanced level course, students will be more free to develop their own documentary film ideas, even bring to the course existing ideas in need of development, all of which will be nurtured and guided by course content and professional advising.

At the conclusion of the course, students will have an understanding of the different modes of representation available to the maker and how they relate to documentary film history. Issues about objectivity and subjectivity will be opened up and thought through. And finally, students will understand how the 'digital revolution' has opened up new possibilities, and broken down barriers within documentary film production and its range of subjects.

Highlights

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the history of documentary cinema, and to as many of the films that have contributed to that history as possible, and to do so from a perspective that accounts for the cinematic art produced in that tradition or practice. It is my opinion that a maker should know as much as they can about 'where they come from' in their discipline, and good films themselves are often the best teacher. The simultaneous viewing and making (not to exclude 'theorizing about') is intended to feed each other, and work toward producing an informed and more knowledgeable person, whether or not you are or hope to become a documentary filmmaker. You will learn not only about 'the world out there,' but also about yourselves. That knowledge should be useful no matter what your life's vocation may be or become. The camera, here, is another tool for exploring ideas and testing who you are in relation to those ideas-cinema, as a form of writing, filmmaking as intellectual work.

Subject Areas

• Arts
• Culture
• Film
• History
• Media And Cultural Studies
• Theater

Cost in US$:

Please contact us for details.

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Apartment/Flat
• Dormitory
• Independent living
• Other

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves

• Essay
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Other
• Resume
• Transcript

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network

Year Founded

1975