KOREAN ARTS, CINEMA AND PERFORMING ARTS

The course is part of the cultural pathway that characterises the Master's degree in Language and Civilisation of Asian and Mediterranean African, Korean curriculum, and will guide students through a plurality of forms of communication and artistic and media expressions of the two countries, to compose a geo-cultural puzzle that, drawing also from local traditions and realities, can illustrate the transformations of these areas and the interaction with global society. Art, cinema and entertainment are not only the reflection of complex cultural systems and a window on ancient civilisations in continuous evolution, but also the channels through which they play a leading role on the world stage today in both political and economic terms.

The aim of this course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of the history and development of the Korean film industry in parallel with the major changes that took place in the country/ies during the 20th century in order to understand, through the study of communication strategies and figurative and visual languages, the motivations that led South Korean cinema to become the industry of reference in Asia in the last two decades. The lectures include the illustration of case studies, with extensive use of audiovisual material.

No prerequisites required, but a basic knowledge of contemporary Korean history will help to better understand the dynamics that will be covered in class.

The course aims to offer students some perspectives on the theoretical approach to the investigation of Korean cinema from an identity perspective and beyond, starting with the first screenings in the early 20th century, passing through the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, and then focusing on South Korea by analysing the forms of propaganda and resistance that characterised its cinema during the two military governments, and finally arriving at the dynamics that led to the current international success of Korean cinema. A focus will also be devoted to the cinema of North Korea.
The lectures will adopt both a diachronic approach, tracing the evolution of the Korean film industry and its main authors from the 1930s to the present day, and a synchronic one, focusing on a series of pivotal themes around which the construction and problematisation of contemporary Korean identity in cinema revolves.
The analysis of cinema in Korea will also allow us to reflect on the cultural dynamics of the film industry (festivals, star system, international awards, quota system, etc.) and how they have influenced relations with neighbouring countries and industries, in particular China, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong; on the different political practices (in some cases close to "soft power" dynamics) involving film production and distribution in Asia but also in the global market and the transition towards a global aesthetic in spite of what have long been analysed as national cinemas. In line with the most advanced international studies in the field of cinema in relation to political and social changes such as film festival studies and in direct contact with the practices of audiovisual production and distribution, the course provides students with both a historical-theoretical basis and keys to interpretations more directly related to the practices of cinema, orienting them towards the main moments in which the audiovisual industry is articulated: production, circulation and distribution.

Compulsory materials will be provided by the teacher during classes (Powerpoint slides) and on the MOODLE platform (PDF files)

Written examination consisting of three essay questions

*In case of online exams an oral test will replace the written examination

In the lectures, video materials will be used to supplement and enrich the knowledge learned orally.

Italian

written