Module description
Film theory has long been regarded as a Euro-American phenomenon. But in recent years, film scholars began to try reconfiguring Euro-American film theory as a response to the ontological crisis of the digital image, and seek new inspirations from theoretical traditions in East Asia and other parts of the world. However, developing an effective comparative study is not a matter of throwing Asian film theories into the Western canon. Rather, it requires careful rethinking of comparative methodologies and cultural understandings with rigorous application of postcolonial criticisms. In this module, students will learn to read and analyse theoretical texts written by Chinese film critics and thinkers in translation. Through a collaborative process of discussion and debate, student will learn:
(1) the intellectual and industrial history that shaped these critical debates;
(2) comparative methodologies and postcolonial theories;
(3) actual comparison between parallel debates in Europe, North America, and Asia;
(4) to develop new theoretical strategies and apply them to cinema and media today.
Assessment details
4000-word essay or 5 minute video + 2000 word critical reflection (100%)
Educational aims & objectives
In this module, students will learn one theoretical tradition outside Europe and North America (e.g. China, Korea, Japan, or India). The aim of this module is to expand the students' understanding of film theory beyond Europe and North America, and to reconfigure the key concepts of Western film theory by using ideas from these non-European traditions. Besides reading and analyzing theoretical texts written by East or South Asian film critics and thinkers (in translation), students will also learn: (1) the intellectual and industrial history that shaped these critical debates; (2) comparative methodologies and postcolonial theories; (3) actual comparison between parallel debates in Europe, North America, and Asia; (3) to develop new theoretical stratgies and apply them to cinema and media today.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students will be able to:
Analyze and adjudicate on complex critical concepts in Asian film theories;
initiate original arhival or library research, access support and accept accountability under professional guidelines;
Develop a deep and systematic understanding of the theoretical debates in an Asian country, and conduct comparative analysis with its Euro-American counterparts;
demonstrate and adjudicate on the most current comparative methodologies and issues in film theory by using concepts found in Asian film theories;
Use high level ideas and abstractions to identify common underlying assumptions about the cinema between Asian and Euro-American thinkers;
Design their own investigations and evaluate the effectiveness of using Asian film theories to reconfigure our understanding of cinema and media today;
Develop skills and strategies to conduct flexible research in seemingly unfamiliar territories (e.g. East and South Asian critical debates);
Evaluate methods of comparison by using postcolonial theories.