Feminist Film Theory FTV4117

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Culture and Creative Arts
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

This course examines feminist film theory from the 1970s to the present, providing a survey of discourses on cinematic identification, sexual representation, feminist avant-gardes, feminized aesthetics, feminist film historiography, and women's reception practices. Challenges to universalized womanhood arising from intersectional, critical race, queer, trans*, and critical disability methodologies will be kept in focus throughout. The screening programme will provide students with an opportunity to view a variety of films directed by women, as well as presenting several frameworks for reconsidering films directed by men.

Timetable

10 x 1hr lecture

10 x 1hr seminar

10 x 2hr screening 

Over ten weeks as scheduled on MyCampus

Requirements of Entry

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Film and Television Studies and Creative Arts and Industries, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Written Essay or Audiovisual Essay (2000 words / 5 minutes) - 40%

Written Essay or Audiovisual Essay (2000 words / 5 minutes) - 60%

Main Assessment In: April/May

Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? Not applicable for Honours courses

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will 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. 

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ Offer a survey of feminist film theory from 1970 to the present

■ Study a range of issues and debates surrounding gender and cinematic representation

■ Introduce the relationships between feminist film theory, feminist political thought, and women's film cultures (as directors and spectators) since 1970

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

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

■ appraise the major debates, methodologies and shifts in feminist film theory

■ employ textual analysis to debate representations of gender in key screen texts

■ evaluate the relationship between feminist film theory, feminist political thought, and women's film cultures since 1970

■ construct arguments utilising feminist film theory in written and/or audiovisual formats

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

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