Nature and City in the Cinema

Subject guarantor:

Petra DOMINKOVÁ

Name of lecturer(s):

Petra DOMINKOVÁ

Learning outcomes of the course unit:

By the end of the course the student will be able to:

-understand the given properties of the variety of settings

-explain which significance they have

-analyze a film of interest based on the reading from the variety of the subjects

Mode of study:

Seminar

Prerequisites and co-requisites:

None

Recommended optional programme components:

No

Course contents:

The aim of the course is to discuss the setting of the various films - variety of the natural setting, garden, countryside and the city - and to explain how applying the studies from the various subjects (architecture, environmentalism, philosophy, etc.) might be helpful for understanding the role that the particular setting fulfills. Students will discuss the films from the different epochs and different regions and will examine the significance of city/country/nature that those films present.

Recommended or required reading:

All readings will be delivered in PDF or DOC files

* Rolston, Holmes. „Aesthetic Experience in Forests,“ Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 56, no. 2 (1998): 157-166. + Pollio, Howard R.; Anderson, John; Levasseur, Priscilla; Thweatt, Michael. „Cultural meanings of nature: an analysis of contemporary motion pictures,“ The Journal of Psychology 137, no. 2 (March 2003): 117-132.

Will be dicussed with Couch to Vienna October 18

* Wilson, Edward O., „Biophilia and the Conservation Ethic.“ In The Biophilia Hypothesis, edited by S. R. Kellert, E. . Wilson. 31-41. Washington D.C., Covelo (California): Island Press, 1993. + Ulrich, Roger S., „Biophilia, Biophobia, and Natural Landscapes“. In The Biophilia Hypothesis edited by S. R. Kellert, E. . Wilson. 73-137. (Extracts). Washington D.C., Covelo (California): Island Press, 1993.

Will be dicussed with Leave Her to Heaven October 25

* McIntosh, Christopher. Gardens of the Gods: Myth, Magic and Meaning. London: I.B.Taurus, 2005: 1-17.

Will be dicussed with Garden November 15

* Moran, Albert, „Migrancy, Tourism, Settlement, and Rural Cinema.“ In Representing the Rural: Space, Place, And Identity in Films about the Land , edited by Catherine Fowler, Gillian Helfield. 224-239. Wayne State University Press, 2006.

Will be dicussed with Sunrise November 29

* Webb, Michael. „The City in Film,“ Design Quarterly 136 (1987): 1-32.

Will be dicussed with Prefabstory December 13

RECOMMENDED FILMS:

October 11: Antichrist (Lars von Trier, USA, 2009, 108?, color)

October 25: The Night of the hunter (Charles Laughton, USA, 1955, 93?, b&w)

November 08: The Draughtsman?s Contract (Peter Greenaway, GB, 1983, 108?, color)

November 22: The Quiet Man (John Ford, USA, 1952, 129?, color)

December 06: Dead End (William Wyler, USA, 1937, 93?, b&w)

Planned learning activities and teaching methods:

No

Assessment methods and criteria:

Course Requirements:

Class Attendance and Participation: I expect students to attend all classes. Students will read the texts required for each lesson and discuss them in the class. Lively discussion is expected. Students should ask anything that is not clear enough, bring their own ideas, and participate actively in the program of the course. Participation and contribution to class discussion will be taken significantly into account in the final grade. Excessive unexcused absences result in lowering of the final grade!

Three short papers 1: Each student will turn in three short papers (each will have 2 pages, i.e. 700 words) that will analyse the assigned film AND the reading. It is up to the student himself/herself which films and readings s/he will write about: there will be always 2-3 films/readins to choose from. Due: Mar 10/Apr 07/May 05

Presentation: A presentation based on the film/reading: Each student will take turns leading the discussion about each second class about the film we watched. This involves bringing a handout for each student (plus me) and creating discussion questions for the group. The goal is to get us talking about how the film depits urban/rural/natural life.

Final essay (4 pages minimum, i.e. 1.400 words): On a chosen topic that corresponds to the material covered in the course; the usage of one obligatory reading is expected; the presentation (Apr-28) of a final project creates 10% of the final essay grade. The topic of the paper must be different than topics of three short papers, however, the student may write about the film s/he presented on. Due: May 12

Grading Table available on request (or in syllabus)

Assessment and final grade:

The course grade will be calculated as follows:

Participation in discussions (20%) = 200 points

Short papers (each 10%) = 300 points: 100 points for each paper (according the scale above)

Presentation (20%) = 200 points (all students will participate in the assessment of the presentation based on a film)

Final essay (30%) = 300 points (according the scale above)

altogether: 100% = 1000 points

Course web page:

Note:

petra.dominkova@gmail.com

Detailed syllabus available upon request in FAMU International office.

Schedule for winter semester 2012/2013:

	06:00–08:0008:00–10:0010:00–12:0012:00–14:0014:00–16:0016:00–18:0018:00–20:0020:00–22:0022:00–24:00
Mon
Tue
Fri	místnost 241 Učebna 3 (Lažanský palác) DOMINKOVÁ P. 11:30–13:05 (přednášková par. 1)
Thu
Fri

Date	Day	Time	Tutor	Location	Notes	No. of paralel
	Fri	11:30–13:05	DOMINKOVÁ P.	Učebna 3 Lažanský palác		přednášková par. 1

Schedule for summer semester 2012/2013:

	06:00–08:0008:00–10:0010:00–12:0012:00–14:0014:00–16:0016:00–18:0018:00–20:0020:00–22:0022:00–24:00
Mon
Tue	místnost 241 Učebna 3 (Lažanský palác) DOMINKOVÁ P. 09:00–10:35 (přednášková par. 1)
Fri
Thu
Fri

Date	Day	Time	Tutor	Location	Notes	No. of paralel
	Tue	09:00–10:35	DOMINKOVÁ P.	Učebna 3 Lažanský palác		přednášková par. 1

The subject is a part of the following study plans:

• Fotografie EN - bakalář (optional subject)
• Fotografie EN - magistr (optional subject)
• Cinema and Digital Media - Cinematography (optional subject)
• Cinema and Digital Media - Screenwriting (optional subject)
• Erasmus (optional subject)
• Cinema and Digital Media - Directing (optional subject)
• Cinematography (optional subject)