CINEMA AND VISUAL CULTURES

The course is part of the related and additional programmes included in the curriculum dedicated to contemporary arts for the Master’s degree in “History of Arts and Conservation of Artistic Heritage”. Its aim is to offer students a critical-theoretical study of the relationship between cinema, aesthetics and visual arts. The objectives of the course are: to teach students how to problematize their relationship with the objects they study or consume in every day’s life, such as films and audio-visual products, adopting an informed visual and cultural approach towards the current debate in the literature of this field; to enable students to reflect upon the paradigms and cultural constructs inherent in concepts such as “film”, “author”, “work of art”, “visual” etc.

1. Knowledge and comprehension: Ability to understand and analyze critical and theoretical texts dealing with cinema.
2. Ability to apply the acquired knowledge and comprehension: ability to write a critical essay or create a power point presentation using materials retrieved in the course textbooks or during lectures.
3. Judgment skills: ability to form personal interpretations based upon the knowledge of the course related critical-theoretical literature; a critical approach to the aesthetic, cultural and historical judgment of audio-visual artworks.
4. Communication skills: ability to participate in group discussions around the subjects of the course; ability to convey the specific nature of the theoretical and historical debate using an appropriate vocabulary, during the exam as well as during lectures; ability to interact with fellow students and with the lecturer in a critical and collaborative way, both in the classroom and through virtual electronic platforms.
5. Learning skills: ability to take notes and share them in a collaborative manner; ability to consult reference texts and the bibliography they contain in a critical manner.

It is advisable that students have attended courses in history of cinema, film theory or contemporary art theory (visual, performing arts or literature) either during their BA or during MA.

The concept of “auteur” in cinema has been institutionalized – that is it has obtained a license of cultural legitimacy corresponding to an economical value and a socio-political importance – especially during the second half of the 20th century. This was a historical period in which the migration of people became more and more intense and the process of globalization of consumes underwent a vast acceleration. Backed up by a range of recent studies, the course aims as investigating whether there are any forms of interconnections between these two phenomena. For this purpose, the course is divided into two modules. The 1st module (15 hours) will trace the main stages in the evolution of the concept of ‘auteur’ in cinema, focusing the attention on the multiple meanings that the term acquires especially during the period of the so called ‘modern cinema’, in which the relationship between the sense of crisis perceived by the individual on one hand and the crisis of the audio/visual forms of expression on the other hand is intensified. The 2nd module (15 hours) intends to analyse the way that some of the films of this particular period has dealt with subjects such as journey, multiculturalism, the rise of globalisation, of the encounter with the Other. Thanks to their sojourns in other continents (Asia, Africa and Latin America in particular), film directors such as Rossellini, Malle, Wenders, Antonioni, Pasolini, Renoir, Marker (and many others) have had the opportunity to experiment new and old ways of representation of cultural Otherness, facing stereotypes and clichés concerning those different from us, aiming at creating works resembling ethnographical or social and political enquiries, questioning the very concept of “Auteur”. The multiplicity of meanings and cultural ambiguity of these audio-visual works analysed adopting a multidisciplinary approach (inspired by research pursued in the fields of philosophy, anthropology, postcolonial and cognitive studies etc.), will eventually allow us to reflect upon the ethno-centric forms of subjectivity. Among these the Auteur remains one of the most transversal and enduring representatives within the system of arts.

The final exam requires students to demonstrate their knowledge of the following textbooks:

- G. Pescatore, "L’ombra dell’autore. Teoria e storia dell’autore cinematografico", Carocci, Roma 2006.
- M. Dalla Gassa, "Orient (to) Express. Film di viaggio, etno-grafie, teoria d'autore", Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2016.

Students who will not be able to attend the course will have to read also one text between:
- L. Caminati, "Orientalismo eretico. Pier Paolo Pasolini e il cinema del terzo mondo", Bruno Mondadori, Roma 2007.
- E. Mazierska, L. Rascaroli, “Girando la nuova Europa. Viaggi postmoderni del road movie europeo”, Gremese Editore, Roma 2007
- D. Oregon, “Road Movies: From Muybridge and Méliès to Lynch and Kiarostami”, Palgrave Macmillan, London 2008
- S. Parigi, L. Mazzei (a cura di), “Viaggi italiani. Paesaggi e territori nella cultura visuale dal boom agli anni del riflusso”, Imago, n. 18, 2019.
- I. Perniola, "Chris Marker o del film-saggio", Lindau, Torino 2011.
- J. Ruoff, “Virtual Voyages: Cinema and Travel”, Duke University Press, Durham-London 2006.

Viewing at least eight among the following films is a compulsory part of the programme:

Ana-ta-han, Josef Von Sternberg, 1953.
Dimanche à Pékin, Chris Marker, 1955.
Lettre de Sibérie, Chris Marker, 1958.
India Matri Bhumi, Roberto Rossellini, 1959.
L’India vista da Rossellini, Roberto Rossellini, 1959.
Der Tiger von Eschnapur, Fritz Lang, 1959.
Das indische Grabmal, Fritz Lang, 1959.
L’immortelle, Alain Robbe-Grillet, 1963.
Le Mystère Koumiko, Chris Marker, 1965.
Loin du Vietnam, AA.VV,, 1967
La via del petrolio, Bernardo Bertolucci, 1967
Appunti per un film sull’India, Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1968.
Calcutta, Louis Malle, 1968.
L'inde fantôme, Louis Malle, 1969.
Le mura di Sana’a, Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1971.
Chung-Kuo Cina, Michelangelo Antonioni, 1972.
Il fiore delle Mille e una notte, Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1974.
India Song, Marguerite Duras, 1975
Comment Yukong déplaça les montagnes di Joris Ivens e Marceline Loridan, 1976
Sans Soleil, Chris Marker, 1983.
A.K., Chris Marker, 1985.
Tokyo-Ga, Wim Wenders, 1985.
Une histoire de vent, Joris Ivens, 1988.

Further indications of bibliographic and filmographic studies can be found among the documents uploaded on Moodle platform.

The learning assessment consists of an oral exam. However, students are required to elaborate a research report on one of the course subjects that should be submitted to the teacher not later than five days before the exam date. In particular, students – on their own or in groups of maximum 3 persons – are required to analyse a journey film created by an accredited auteur. In order to assist students in his choice, the teacher will upload a vast filmography on the course homepage on Moodle page, serving as an orientation guide. The report, consisting of around 4 folders (8000 characters), should focus in particular on the modes of representation of the auteur’s subjectivity and on the cultural paradigms adopted in the chosen film. This research –in the case of students attending lectures it can also be replaced by an oral presentation during one of the last lectures of the course – will form one of the topics discussed during the oral exam. During the oral exam the teacher will also assess the knowledge of the bibliography and the filmography indicated in the programme. More precise indications concerning the paper and the examination mode will be illustrated during the first lecture of the course as well as in a specific information sheet on the Moodle page.

Lectures consist of both lessons in front of the class and seminars and imply active student participation in discussions on subjects treated in the course books as well as on sequences and illustrative excerpts from films in the recommended filmography. One of the last lectures will be dedicated to presenting and discussing the research report prepared by the students. If conditions related to logistics allow it, during the course we will try to organize occasional “lectures” on topics relevant for the course involving professors from other universities.

Italian

In case the Covid-19 emergency should continue in autumn, which will imply the adoption of forms of distance learning, the course will be held mainly through recorded videoconferences on Google-Meet, that will be uploaded on the Moodle page: The intent is to try to maintain, as far as possible, various forms of interaction and discussion with the students. As to the final exams, the assessment method will still consist of an oral discussion that will also be conducted online by means of a videoconference.

Class attendance is recommended to all students and is required to those who wish to apply for a thesis in History of Cinema.

Ca’ Foscari follows the Italian law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) for the support and accommodation services available to students with disabilities or specific learning disabilities. If you have either a motor, visual, hearing or another disability (Law 17/1999), or a specific learning disorder (Law 170/2010) and you require support (classroom assistance, technological aids for carrying out exams or personalized exams, accessible format material, note retrieval, specialist tutoring as study support, interpreters or other), please contact the Disability and DSA office disita@unive.it.

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development