16847

WiSe 16/17: The City in Cinema – Histories of Place

Berit Hummel

Information for students

Is this course suitable for you? The course is open to students from all academic fields with an interest in the topic and in critical reflection of visual material in general. Students should be prepared to read texts and view the films in preparation of the classes to be able to actively participate in the group discussions. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the subject, texts range from film studies, cultural and urban studies to social science. The presentations will be based on individual research and analysis of a given film and the corresponding literature.
Workload and Evaluation: In order to obtain 5 ECTS credits, you will have to

Attend the course regularly (at least 13 out of 16 sessions);
Study the course materials (ca. 20-30 pages English texts per week average);
Give a presentation in class (10-15 min, handout);
Pass the written examination (90 minutes).

Comments

Subject: Cinema is intertwined with the city from its very origins. The urban landscapes of industrialization were motifs of the first films, which in turn were exhibited in urban settings. Since then, film represented the multiple facets of urban life, according to changing conventions in the different genres and times. ‘In the city, time becomes visible’ American humanist Lewis Mumford has claimed and architect Aldo Rossi has referred to the city as the locus of collective memory, being a formation made up from remnants of the past mixing with newly emerging structures. Cinema is the medium to reflect both on the dynamic change of cities in time and concurrently on the changing conceptions of the metropolis - hiding place, phantasmagoria, abyss and utopia - as it can make the coexistence of different historical layers visible and thus contributes to how we perceive a city. The plethora of films set in Berlin reflect its changeful history, from early 1920s city symphonies and Weimar Street film to what more recently became to be called the Berlin School of filmmaking. At the same time there are evident parallels in how other cinemas in Europe as well as internationally have represented aspects of their contemporary urban life.

Program: Approaching film as an artefact through which historical, cultural and social aspects of a society become visible, we will study the relationship between film and the city, focusing on Berlin and German cinema with comparisons to contemporary European as well as international examples. Engaging with a body of literature on film, architecture, and urban space, students will learn to interpret cinematic conventions and to critically reflect how cinema represents and re-imagines the culture it originates from. Each session highlights one topic on the basis of a film to be introduced through student‘s presentations, and relevant comparisons discussed in class or small groups. Additional film screenings are planned as well as one excursion, the dates will be listed in the syllabus. Course materials will be available as a digital reader. close

16 Class schedule

Regular appointments

Fri, 12:00 - 14:00 16 Class schedule

Fri, 2016-10-21 12:00 - 14:00

Lecturers:
Berit Hummel