AMU3565 - Southeast Asian cinema - 2019

What are the defining features of Southeast Asian cinema and what can they tell us about the culture, society and politics within the region?. This unit examines the cinema from several Southeast Asian countries through the close analysis of key films, the use of a range of critical approaches, and by situating the cinema within the historical contexts of its production and reception. Here the unit investigates the changing nature of cinema in the region, while also exploring the relationships between films and key moments in Southeast Asian history. The unit examines the region's cinema from a variety of perspectives, taking into account critically acclaimed film movements and directors, many of whom have performed well at film festivals across the world, while also discussing the genres and conventions that make up the region's popular filmmaking traditions.

Upon successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:

1. identify and explain the core issues that define Southeast Asian cinemas;
2. recognise and evaluate the value of competing critical perspectives on Southeast Asian cinema;
3. contrast the similarities and differences in the formal features used in a wide range of Southeast Asian films from across generic and national contexts;
4. assess some of the key historical developments in Southeast Asia and how these are articulated in its cinema;
5. apply relevant theories of the moving image to a variety of case studies.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Screen studies

Global Asia