New Voices in Film: Charting the Growth of Marginalised Voices in Film



Overview

This course will uncover new voices in cinema, exploring how various minority groups have fought to be represented fairly and accurately on screen.

We will start by looking at Social Realism in European cinema before looking at subjects including the history of LGBTQ+ cinema, First Nations people on screen (and how colonialism has influenced that), and how disabled people from different communities have been represented on the screen in the past and how that is changing.  

We will look at particular films in depth and also look at the work of specific film directors and how they use technical aspects of filming techniques to tell their stories. The course will concentrate on feature films but will also refer to other formats including short films, documentaries and television.

Programme details

Course starts: 20 Jan 2025

Week 1: European and British Social Realism

Week 2: The Deaf community on screen

Week 3: A look back at the history of LGBTQ+ film

Week 4: North American First Nations on screen

Week 5: Films made by and about Muslim women

Week 6: Contemporary LGBTQ+ film 

Week 7: Antipodean First Nations people on screen

Week 8: Changing representations of disability on screen

Week 9: European Black culture on screen

Week 10: Refugees in film

Certification

To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £285.00
Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Mrs Kiri Walden

Kiri Teaches film and cultural studies at OUDCE and is author of three books about the history of British film and culture. She has worked in film, on both sides of the camera.

Course aims

This course will look at historical and contemporary films, introducing students to different themes within a world cinema context. Studying example films and directors in detail will enable students to appreciate films with more confidence and gain a wider understanding of academic film criticism and analysis. 

Course objectives:

  • To understand how minorities were represented in the past and identify how and why that has changed
  • To introduce students to academic methods of film analysis
  • To show the cultural significance of social realism in film
  • To introduce students to films and themes of discussion that are new to them

Teaching methods

This class will be taught in person, in an informal seminar style using Powerpoint slides, class discussion and film clips. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • understand and identify the historical context that has influenced the way in which certain groups of people have been represented on screen;
  • understand the methods of filming techniques and appreciate how films are made;
  • be able to confidently discuss how on-screen representation of minorities has changed and why

Assessment methods

This class will be assessed via a set essay, with full support from the tutor. 

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment Form (Word) or Enrolment Form (Pdf)

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support