| Unit name | Screening the Past: Representing History in Contemporary Italian Cinema |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ITAL30046 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. O'Rawe |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Italian |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
What role does film have in representing important historical events? Can film (or any kind of representation) ever give an ‘accurate’ account of the past, or is it destined to romanticise and trivialise, as critics have often argued? What factors should we bear in mind when approaching films made about real people (biopics)? Who has the right to tell someone else’s story, and is it ethical to tell a traumatic story from the perspective of the perpetrator, while victims are still alive?
The unit introduces students to the ways in which recent Italian cinema, of differing genres and styles, has engaged with particular historical events. We will assess the possibilities and limitations of film as a medium of historical representation, and engage with debates on cultural memory, the biopic, and whether film might successfully remediate nationally traumatic or significant events for a mass audience.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
You will develop and consolidate your skills of research and writing, becoming more confident in constructing and sustaining a complex argument appropriate to the level of study, and building on work at Level I.
You will engage with a body of theoretical literature on the problematics of historical representation, the complex relationship between memory and history, and the field of memory studies. These issues may be relevant in other units studied across the programme, and you will also find that they are applicable to contemporary real-world debates.
An overview of content
This unit analyses the way in which a range of recent Italian film genres and modes engage with history: the focus will be on the ways in which recent events in Italy (post-1968) are represented, and the unit may examine, among other topics, the ways in which different genres address the same historical event, the value of studying how popular film ‘does history’, debates over history and memory, the way that contested periods and events are shaped by film into persuasive narratives, the biographical film (or biopic), and the role of the star in directing audience attention towards particular historical features.
Lectures and targeted readings provide a broad overview of the relevant theories, and seminar discussions focus on identifying the relevance of particular theories to interpretations of the films, through the close analysis of particular sequences. Weekly focusing questions are provided in order for you to prepare for seminar discussions.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Having taken this unit, you will have developed a broad range of skills. You will have a good command of the relevant theories, and a grasp on how to deploy film-critical terminology, joining an expert community within the fields of film studies and memory studies/historical representation. You will be able to apply your knowledge to the selected film texts, but also to real-world debates around cultural memory, and the ethics of historical representation. You will become confident, reflective, and effective communicators, through seminar discussion, group presentations, and written assignments. The group presentation component of the summative assessment allows students to work collaboratively, developing skills of teamwork, empathy, and professional presentation and communication. You will be able to research independently and sustain a sophisticated argument, in dialogue with the theoretical literature on the topic.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an informed knowledge of the filmic and historical contexts in which the films studied were produced;
2. Assess the relationship between film, genre, and historical change in Italy;
3. Analyse the film texts in close detail, informed by relevant secondary literature;
4. Collaborate effectively on a joint presentation project;
5. Identify and interpret a range of cutting-edge theoretical positions within the fields of films studies and the study of history and memory.
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of interactive lectures and seminar discussion, alongside self-directed reading and questions to consider outside class. In-class activities will increase your familiarity with the subject matter, thereby allowing you to increase in confidence and knowledge in the topics. Seminar discussions will allow you to develop your critical thinking about cinema’s role in representing Italian history, and will help you to apply relevant theoretical perspectives from the reading on history, memory, and screen representation to the chosen film texts.
Tasks students are expected to complete include:
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Recorded group presentation, 20 minutes (30%) [ILOs 1, 3 and 4]
Essay, 2,500 words (70%) [ILOs 1, 2, 3 and 5]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ITAL30046).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
