Course Catalogue

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This course will introduce students to the complexity of Hungarian society through the analysis of film and other cultural media. The course will look at historical events of the post-1945 period through their representations in films by the best of Hungarian filmmakers, and discuss them from a dual perspective, giving equal weight to the perspectives of history and artistic representation.

One 2 hour class per week

This course may not be running this year. For further information please check the CEES Moodle page or contact the subject directly.

Mandatory entry requirements

Entry to CEES Honours normally requires the following:

(a) 40 credits at a grade point average of 15 (Grade B) or above over CEES 1A and CEES 1B (40 credits) as a first attempt

(b) 40 credits at a grade point average of 12 (Grade C) over CEES 2A and CEES 2B (40 credits) as a first attempt OR

(c) 60 credits at a grade point average of 15 (Grade B) or above in CEES Level 3 if the above set of requirements are not attained; and

(d) meet any further requirements set out in the degree's supplementary regulations; and

(e) meet any additional requirements set by the College of Social Sciences

None

None

The summative assessment comprises a 2,500 word essay to be submitted in Week 12 and a 90-minute examination in the April/May diet.

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

The aim of this course is to provide students with a familiarity with key aspects of history and society via the medium of film. We will look at historical events of the post-1945 period through their representations in films and discuss them from a dual, historical and representational, perspective. This complex perspective will enable the students to see how historical events have impacted on present society, and how present perspectives on historical events have been shaped by previous representations. Films will include well-known films that have covered the dictatorship of the 1950s, youth culture in the 1960s and 1980s, and more overarching multigenerational histories that show the life of Hungarians under the rapidly changing socio-political circumstances.  A particularly important aspect of the examination is the changing representation of the same events, reflecting the diminishing influence of censorship.

By the end of this programme students will be able to:

■ demonstrate a familiarity with aspects of Hungarian film and society which have a bearing on present-day society

■ engage in a critical analysis of key scholarly texts and films in order to understand Hungarian society from a cultural and societal perspective

■ engage in independent research and present the findings of this and knowledge acquired during the course in the form of coherent written and verbal expression

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.