Film Studies – Great Films Directed by Women II
The 2019 poll was prompted by the absence of female filmmakers in the results of previous surveys by BBC Culture.
This course looks at the films voted in 10th to 6th place:
Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash, USA, 1991)
Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold, UK, 2009)
Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade, Germany-Austria, 2016)
The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow, USA, 2008)
Daisies (Věra Chytilová, Czechoslovakia, 1966).
The qualities, production and reception of these films, and the careers of the directors behind them, will be considered through viewing and analysis of film extracts, tutor presentations and class discussions.
Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in film and a curiosity to learn more about cinema. You are not required to have any prior film knowledge of or familiarity with the films under discussion.
This is a follow-on to a course from our autumn term which looked at the top five films on the list, but is a stand-alone course. Students do not need to have taken the previous course to participate.
Will I need any equipment or materials?
You will need a notebook and pen to take notes. You are not required to purchase any textbooks or to arrange access to the films.
The tutor, Hilary Smith, was both informative and welcoming - the classes were a real joy.
Image: Daisies, dir. Věra Chytilová, 1966. Courtesy of the Criterion Collection.
Need to Know
You will learn
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- identify aesthetic qualities of the selected films
- describe production contexts of the selected films
- recognise distinguishing qualities of the filmmakers’ work.
Meet the Tutor
Hilary Smith
Hilary Smith is a lecturer in film studies at Birkbeck, University of London, and has also taught at City University London, Imperial College London and Arcadia University.
Hilary has a professional background in film curation and arts administration, and was formerly a curator and programme manager for BFI Southbank (formerly known as the National Film Theatre) at the British Film Institute.
Hilary has received a Distinguished Teaching and Scholarship Award for ‘an outstanding contribution to teaching and learning’.
Course Overview
Week 1
Introduction
By the end of the session you should be able to identify the context of the BBC Culture poll and approaches taken to the evaluation and categorisation of films.
Week 2
Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash, USA, 1991)
By the end of the session you should be able to identity key characteristics and qualities of the film, contextual factors of its production and reception, and the output of its director.
Week 3
Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold, UK, 2009)
By the end of the session you should be able to identity key characteristics and qualities of the film, contextual factors of its production and reception, and the output of its director.
Week 4
Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade, Germany-Austria, 2016)
By the end of the session you should be able to identity key characteristics and qualities of the film, contextual factors of its production and reception, and the output of its director.
Week 5
The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow, USA, 2008)
By the end of the session you should be able to identity key characteristics and qualities of the film, contextual factors of its production and reception, and the output of its director.
Week 6
Daisies (Věra Chytilová, Czechoslovakia, 1966)
By the end of the session you should be able to identity key characteristics and qualities of the film, contextual factors of its production and reception, and the output of its director.
Dates and Times
Film Studies – Great Films Directed by Women II
– , 5:26 - 7:26
