To explore ways in which global cinema has made use of the urban space (cinema having been described as an urban art-form par excellence ); Through a wide range of films from different European countries, to introduce students both to issues relating to the imaginary conception of cities, and to concepts in film theory regarding the construction of space, the position of the observer, and the nature and purpose of representation and of narrative construction;

To introduce students to relatively complex theoretical constructions, in an immediate and approachable way, which will give them confidence in their ability to handle concepts in critical theory and to apply them successfully;

To develop their capacities in expressing their ideas, both in discussion and in written work, with regard to more advanced material than they were required to study in the first-year module;

To alert them to the conceptual links which film studies has with other theoretical fields; To introduce students in a simple way to the practical problems of audiovisual representation.

(LO1) Awareness of issues of urban theory, of the spatial implications of cinematic expression, and of the interaction of these;

(LO2) Awareness of the ways in which cinema has been used to articulate the self-construction of urban societies

(LO3) Global citizenship: Alertness to the ways in which the modern world is constructed through representations

(LO4) Ability to handle theoretical concepts confidently in written and oral modes, to carry on a discussion and sustain an argument by applying those concepts.

(LO5) Authentic assessment: Awareness of some of the practical issues involved in creating an audiovisual piece.

(LO6) Confidence: Ability to plan the translation of experience of the city into audiovisual form.

(S1) Confidence: Communication (oral, written and visual) - Academic writing (inc. referencing skills)

(S2) Confidence: Communication (oral, written and visual) - Media analysis

(S3) Active Learning: Critical thinking and problem solving - Critical analysis

(S4) Information skills - Critical reading

(S5) Confidence: Communication (oral, written and visual) - Communicating for audience

(S6) Peer-led learning: Team (group) working respecting others, co-operating, negotiating / persuading, awareness of interdependence with others

(S7) Confidence: Handling audiovisual material

The majority of teaching will be delivered face-to-face on campus. Online delivery will be used to complement the on-campus delivery and where technology affords a better learning experience.

Lecture:
Concepts will be introduced through a certain number of formal lectures, after which students will be encouraged to deepen their understanding through background reading and to report on what they have read.

Seminar:
Seminars in the first part of the module will be devoted to planning practical work and discussing the possible lessons to be learned from the films seen. In the second part of the module, the seminars will be for group discussion of the particular films screened.

Topics covered during the module may include:

Filming the City: An introduction to some of the theoretical issues associated with understanding cities, their functions, and their representation;

The construction of an entirely human-centred geography;

The city as expression of order and disorder (`polis’ and `labyrinth’);

The significance of centre and periphery;

The concept of the flâneur and of the stranger, and their particular relevance to cinema;

The place of the camera-eye in the urban space. This part of the module will look at some examples of filming cities, as a prelude to a practical exercise in which students will be asked to make a brief audiovisual essay based on Liverpool.

Cities in Film, looking at a range of films set in global cities which in different ways offer fictional accounts of the places in which they are set and the issues facing their inhabitants. Films studied in the past include La Haine (Kass ovitz, 1995), Biùtiful (Iñarritú, 2010), La Dolce Vita (Fellini, 1960), The Third Man (Reed, 1949), Pepe le Moko (Duvivier, 1937).