OVERVIEW

The course addresses the main turning points in the history of cinema, from its origins to the advent of digital technology, alternating the study of cinema’s socio-cultural role with the analysis of the main stylistic paradigms that define its aesthetics. Particular attention will be devoted to the analysis of film language and to the study of contemporary cinema and the media system.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning the main articulations of the history of cinema, from the origins to the advent of digital; in-depth focus on cinema theory and the developing of the ability to recognize and analyze the main stylistic paradigms that define the aesthetics of cinema.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the course is to provide students with the tools to understand the cultural and aesthetic development of cinema, to analyze audiovisual texts and to problematize the experience of media content.

At the end of the course the student will acquire the capacity to: 1) interpret the history and theory of cinema, 2) analyze the functioning of the cinematographic language; 3) interpret the social and cultural role of cinema; 4) describe, analyze and contextualize a film; 5) relate the history of cinema with that of other media.

The course also includes the acquisition of basic level alphabetical-functional skills.

PREREQUISITES

In order to better attend the course, a solid knowledge of the history of the twentieth century, of the history of contemporary literature and of the history of contemporary art is required.

TEACHING METHODS

Lessons will be held in presence.

A final written test, in which the student is asked to analyse a film on the basis of the acquired notions, will enable the student to work, on basic level, alphabetical-functional competence.

Students with disabilities or DSAs are reminded that in order to request adaptations in the exam, they must first enter their certification on the University website at servizionline.unige.it in the "Students" section. The documentation will be verified by the University's Services for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and DSA Sector (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/struttura/100111).
Subsequently, at least 10 days before the date of the exam, an e-mail must be sent to the teacher with whom you will take the exam, including in the knowledge copy both the School's Teacher Referent for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and with DSA (Prof. Elisabetta Colagrossi: elisabetta.colagrossi@unige.it) and the Sector indicated above. The e-mail should specify: the name of the teaching; the date of the call; the student's last name, first name and roll number; the compensatory tools and dispensatory measures deemed functional; and required.  The contact person will confirm to the lecturer that the applicant is entitled to apply for adaptations in the examination and that these adaptations must be agreed upon with the lecturer. The lecturer will respond by informing whether the requested adaptations can be used. Requests should be sent at least 10 days before the date of the call in order to allow the lecturer(s) to evaluate the content. In particular, in case you intend to make use of maps conceptual maps for the exam (which must be much more concise than the maps used for studying) if the submission does not meet the deadline there will not be the technical time needed to make any changes.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Programme for students taking the course for 6 credits

The course addresses the history of cinema, from its origins to the advent of digital technology. The historical path is enriched by specific references to film theory and also aims to develop students’ ability to recognize and analyze the main stylistic paradigms that define the aesthetics of cinema.

Programme for students taking the course for 9 credits

The course addresses the history of cinema, from its origins to the advent of digital technology. The historical path is enriched by specific references to film theory and aims to develop the ability to recognize and analyze the main stylistic paradigms that define the aesthetics of cinema.

A monographic section of the course is devoted to an in-depth study of the history, theory, and aesthetics of Queer Cinema, a phenomenon that emerged in the 1990s and contributed to renewing the visual representation of queer identity.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bibliography for students taking the course for 6 credits

• G. Carluccio, L. Malavasi, F. Villa, Il cinema. Percorsi storici e questioni teoriche, Carocci, Roma, 2022 (capitoli 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, e due capitoli a scelta dalla seconda parte, "Questioni teoriche")
• L. Malavasi, Il linguaggio del cinema, Pearson, Milano, 2019 (libro cartaceo ed estensione digitale)
• L. Malavasi (a cura di), Il cinema contemporaneo. Caratteristiche, identità culturale, esperienza, UTET Università, Torino 2024 (solo la prima parte, "Proprietà")
• Visione integrale di 20 film; la filmografia è pubblicata su AulaWeb

Non-attending students must also add:

• V. Pravadelli, Dal classico al postmoderno al global. Teoria e analisi delle forme filmiche, Marsilio, Venezia 2019

Bibliography for students taking the course for 9 credits

• G. Carluccio, L. Malavasi, F. Villa, Il cinema. Percorsi storici e questioni teoriche, Carocci, Roma 2022 (capitoli 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 e due capitoli a scelta dalla seconda parte, "Questioni teoriche")
• L. Malavasi, Il linguaggio del cinema, Pearson, Milano 2019 (libro cartaceo ed estensione digitale)
• L. Malavasi (a cura di), Il cinema contemporaneo. Caratteristiche, identità culturale, esperienza, UTET Università, Torino 2024 (solo la prima parte, "Proprietà")
• L. Bernini, Le teorie queer. Un’introduzione, Mimesis, Milano 2017 (capitoli 2 e 3)
• A. Inzerillo (a cura di), Atlante del cinema queer contemporaneo. Europa 2000-2020, Meltemi, Milano 2023 (saggi: C. çakirdar, G. Needham, Queer Relay nel cinema britannico post-millennial; D. Roth-Bettoni, Cinema gay o cinema queer? Il doppio gioco del cinema francese; P. M. Bocchi, Dove sono le immagini? Alla ricerca di un cinema queer italiano)
• M. Aaron (ed.), New Queer Cinema. A critical Reader, Edinburg University Press, Edinburgh 2004 (saggi: M. Aaron, New Queer Cinema: An Introduction; B. Ruby Rich, New Queer Cinema; Monica B. Pearl, AIDS and New Queer Cinema).
• Essays uploaded to AulaWeb.
• Full viewing of 20 films for the general section + 10 films for the monographic section; the filmography is published on AulaWeb.

Non-attending students must also add:

• V. Pravadelli, Dal classico al postmoderno al global. Teoria e analisi delle forme filmiche, Marsilio, Venezia 2019

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

September 2026

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam is oral, except for the first session of the winter exam period, which is written. Access to the oral exam is subject to the submission of a short film analysis essay. A midterm exam is scheduled exclusively for students who attend the course.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

1) Written test (open and closed questions) pertaining to the main junctures of film history and aesthetics (first exam session only); assessment thresholds will be appropriately shared. Beginning with the second exam session, and for all subsequent exam sessions, the examination will consist of an oral interview in order to test a solid knowledge of the main dynamics of the development of film history and aesthetics.

2) Paper on a film chosen from those of the exam filmography (indications for writing and sending the assignment are available on Aulaweb). Students attending the course for 9 CFU must write the paper on one of the 10 films from the filmography in the monographic course. 

FURTHER INFORMATION

The following workshops are supplementary, non-compulsory activities associated with the course and allow students to earn credits in the area of Other Activities and Workshop Activities:

• Workshop in Film Criticism
• Workshop on Film Festivals and the Challenges of the Digital Era
• Workshop in Visual and Audiovisual Production

The workshop syllabi are published on the websites of the degree programmes in Humanities and in Modern Literature and Performing Arts.