Central European Cinemas within the Context of the World Cinema
Subject is not scheduled Not scheduled
Code | Completion | Credits | Range | Language Instruction | Semester |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
311CEW | exam | 3 | 3 hours (45 min) of instruction per week, 48 to 63 hours of self-study | English | winter |
Subject guarantor
Name of lecturer(s)
Contents
This course is a newly designed advanced section for CDM and other advanced students.
Central Europe has long been known as an artistic and intellectual island within the greater European sphere. Although ravaged by war, foreign occupation, and totalitarian governments for much of the last few centuries, Central Europe has managed to survive and often thrive as centers of culture and artistic experimentation. This course will focus on films from several influential areas in Central Europe with the goal of examining how this region’s history has impacted its culture by looking at avant-garde cinema and its influence on popular genre cinema. In addition to focusing on film theory, we will also be discussing cultural history and media theory, learning approaches to “reading” films not only as movies, but also as multi-faceted cultural artifacts. To this end, our readings will contain primary source materials on cinema history, historical research, film theory, and literature intended to broaden our understanding of the various cultures, visual and otherwise which inform cinema creation in this part of Europe.
While this syllabus gives a fairly accurate portrayal of the material we will cover, additional material may be assigned (and assigned material may be dropped or altered) at any time as the semester progresses, in order to better suit the needs and interests of the class.
Learning outcomes
Throughout the semester, this course will teach students how to approach the cultural and historical elements which are the backbone of every film, while also applying film and cultural theory to a variety of visual media. Students will also gain a deeper appreciation of cultural history and how it relates to their own creative processes, with the aim of giving students tools useful in all aspects of the filmmaking process. Students will also learn how to present their ideas and analysis in a clear, concise, and above all, effective manner.
Students will also learn about contemporary research methodologies, citation styles, academic best practices, and other related research fields necessary to prepare them for their greenlighting and to complete their MA thesis.
Prerequisites and other requirements
Open only to degree students.
Literature
Screening:
- Vsevolod Pudovkin — Mother, 1926
- Sergei Eisenstein — Battleship Potemkin, 1925, October
- Robert Weine - Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920
- Fritz Lang - M, 1931, Metropolis, 1927Martin Frič - Hej Rup!, 1936, Jánošík 1935,
- Vladislav Vančura - Marjika nevernica
- Ivan Pyryev - Cossacks of the Kuban, 1950
- Martin Ťapak - My Native Land, 1954
- Jerzy Kawalerowicz - Cellulose, 1953
- Elo Havetta - Celebration in the Botanical Garden, 1969
- Dušan Hának - Pictures of the Old World, 1972
- Juraj Jakubisko - Birds, Orphans, and Fools, 1969
- Věra Chytilová Daisies, 1966
- Jan Švankmajer —assorted short films (1964-1970)
- Ester Krumbáchová - Murder of Engineer Devil, 1969
- Jan Němec - A Report on the Party and the Guests, 1966
- Pavel Juráček - Josef Kilián, 1963
- Dušan Makavejev— W.R. : Mysteries of the Organism, 1972
- Aleksandar Petrović — I Even Met Happy Gypsies 1967
- Zelimir Zilnik — Early Works, 1968.
- Andrzej Munk - Eroica, 1958
- Andzrej Wajda — Ashes and Diamonds, 1958
- Krysztof Kieslowski — Decalogue I, 1988
- Karel Plicka - The Earth Sings, 1933
- Walter Rutmann - Berlin, Symphony of a Great City, 1925
- Dziga Vertov — Man With a Movie Camera, 1929
- Tarr Bela - Werckmeister Harmonies, 2000, Sátántangó, 1994 (excerpts only)
- Andrej Tarkovsky— Solaris, 1972
- Martin Šulik — The Garden, 1993
- Tomáš Vorel — Smoke, 1990
- Werner Herzog — Aguire : The Wrath of God, 1972
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder — Berlin Alexanderplatz, 1980
- Wim Wenders - Wings of Desire 1987
Reading:
- V.I. Lenin - “The Lenin Decree”, Sergei Eisenstein “The Method of Making Workers’ Films”
- Siegfried Kracauer - “From Caligari to Hitler” Chapter 5
- Andre Breton, “The Surrealist Manifesto”
- Karel Teige “The Poetist Manifesto”, Jan Mukařovský, „A Note on the Aesthetics of Film “
- Zdena Skupinová, „Sedmikrásky / Daisies“
- Jana Dudková, “On Celebration in the Botanical Garden”
- Petre Petrov, „The Industry of Truing: Socialist Realism, Reality, Realization“
- Nina Power, “Blood And Sugar: The Films of Dušan Makavejev”
- Bohdan Kosinski, Krysztof Kieslowski, et al. “Documentary Filmmakers Make Their Case”
- Dziga Vertov “WE: Variant of a Manifesto"
- Jerry White, “BRAKHAGE'S TARKOVSKY AND TARKOVSKY'S BRAKHAGE: Collectivity, Subjectivity, and the Dream of Cinema”
- Václav Havel, Power of the Powerless
- Jan Švankmajer - “The Decalogue”
- Katarína Myšíková, „The Real Story: Indexing Strategy of Slovak Social Drama Films“
- Thomas Elsaesser — “Fassbinder Representing Germany”
- Oberhausen Manifesto I & II.
Evaluation methods and criteria
This course will be graded according to 5 areas— class attendance, class participation, written homework assignments, a 5-7 page midterm paper, and an in class final exam. The breakdown is here:
- Class Attendance— 15%
- Class Participation — 15%
- Midterm Paper — 20%
- Written assignments - 30%
- Final Exam — 20%
Students must hand in all work and attend all meetings with me to get a final grade.
Note
Instructor: Mgr. Nick Hudáč, Ph.D.
Office: Nám. Jana palacha 2, Katedra filmových studií, Filozofická Fakulta UK 406
Office hours: Friday 14:00-15:00 and online by appointment
The subject is not taught every year. The subject is taught at least once every three academic years.
Further information
Course may be repeated
No schedule has been prepared for this course
The subject is a part of the following study plans
- Directing for Dramatic Theatre in English (M.A.) (Elective subjects)
- Cinematography_1920 (Elective subjects)
- Cinematography_3_2021 (Elective subjects)
- Photography EN - Bachelor-1920 (Elective subjects)
- Photography EN - Master-1920 (Elective subjects)
- Cinema and Digital Media - Directing_1920 (Required elective subjects)
- Cinema and Digital Media - Directing (Required elective subjects)