Studying at York
Filming the Nation: Cinematic Representations of Modern Italy - LAN00038I
Module summary
From the post-World War II period to the present, Italian cinema has played a significant role in describing the dynamics and transformation of Italian society and, to a certain extent, in shaping collective and often conflicting narratives of national identity. This module, conducted in Italian, explores key themes in modern Italian history and society and analyses how these themes are negotiated in post-war and contemporary Italian films.
Related modules
Pre-requisite: Understanding Italian-speaking Cultures and Societies.
Open as an elective for students with equivalent level in Italian.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2024-25 |
Module aims
The aims of this module are:
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to increase students’ awareness of key themes in modern Italian history, and the cultures and societies of the Italian-speaking world;
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to provide an understanding of the role of post-war Italian cinema in the shaping of modern and contemporary Italian identities;
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To develop students’ critical skills and enhance their ability to research, analyse, and discuss a variety of topics in Italian.
Module learning outcomes
By the end of the module students should demonstrate:
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a knowledge and understanding of the key themes and films;
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an ability to analyse the cinematic narratives in relation to the key themes discussed;
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an ability to articulate views and defend positions in Italian;
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a good level of accuracy in the production of both written and spoken Italian;
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a good level of fluency and communicative skills in Italian.
Module content
From the post-World War II period to the present, Italian cinema has played a significant role in describing the dynamics and transformation of Italian society and, to a certain extent, in shaping collective and often conflicting narratives of national and transnational identities. This module, conducted in Italian, explores key themes in modern Italian history and society and analyses how these themes are negotiated in post-war and contemporary Italian films. Key themes may include but not be limited to: Italian Risorgimento, Fascism and Resistance, the ‘Southern Question’, old and new migrations, transnational encounters, gender and social change, the world of labour. For each theme, two films will be used to describe traditional and contemporary approaches to the issues discussed. Reference will be made also to the historical and cultural context, analysed through a selection of key texts.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 60 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam | 40 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 60 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam | 40 |
Module feedback
Feedback on formative tasks will be given in wk 5. Feedback on summative assessment will be returned according to the feedback turnaround time.
Indicative reading
A full reading list will be provided by the tutor. The selection of key texts will be based on the key themes discussed in the module.
Extracts from the following texts on the role and history of Italian cinema will be added to the theme-based reading lists:
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Gian Piero Brunetta, Guida alla storia del cinema italiano (Einaudi, 2003).
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Gian Piero Brunetta, Il cinema italiano contemporaneo: Da “La dolce vita” a “Centochiodi” (Laterza, 2007)
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Vito Zagarrio, La meglio gioventù: nuovo cinema italiano 2000-2006 (Marsilio, 2006)