OVERVIEW

Teaching for 6 CFU: 36 hrs, first semester

Teaching for 9 CFU: 54 hrs, second semester

The FIRST PART of the teaching will be devoted to cinema, one of the most developed arts in contemporary Poland, that was also capable, during the period of subjugation to the Soviet Union, to free itself to some extent from the shackles of censorship. We will therefore present a selection of some of the most representative works of contemporary Polish cinema, through which it will be possible to trace some of the key turning points in recent Polish history.

SECOND PART (a further 18 hours, for a total of 54 h, 9 CFU) will consist of a general summary of the major literary currents and historical-political events, from Romanticism to the present day.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, students must be able to orient themselves and understand Polish literature/cinema of the twentieth century, in particular as regards the general themes of teaching.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, students must be able to orient themselves and understand Polish literature/cinema of the twentieth century, in particular as regards the general themes of teaching. They will have to know at least in broad terms the complex geo-political history of Poland of the last century. They will also have acquired a first knowledge of translation techniques from Polish into Italian and will be able, through group work and on-line support, to carry out simple translations from literary texts.

PREREQUISITES

To have completed one or two year of Polish Literature

Participation is also allowed for Polish Erasmus students.

TEACHING METHODS

Reading, explanation and commentary of the films and of some of the main texts. At least once during the semester students will be asked to prepare, in small groups of two or three people, a brief comment on one of the topics covered and to present it to the rest of the class

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Teaching for 6 CFU: 36 hrs, first semester

Teaching for 9 CFU: 54 hrs, second semester

FIRST PART: Cinema is one of the most developed arts in contemporary Poland, and it was also able, during the period of subjugation to the Soviet Union, to free itself to some extent from the shackles of censorship. We will therefore present a selection of some of the most representative works of contemporary Polish cinema, through which it will be possible to trace some of the key turning points in recent Polish history. Starting with The Salt of the Black Earth, the first film in Kazimierz Kutz’s famous trilogy on Silesian history (Sól ziemi czarnej, 1970), moving on to The Interrogation (Przesłuchanie, Ryszard Bugajski 1982, described as a ‘legendary film’ and ‘the most anti-communist film in the history of the Polish People’s Republic’) to Feliks Falks’s The Collector (Komornik, 2005), which explores the horrors of the new capitalist system. Two of the films on offer are adapted from two different literary masterpieces: These are The Stranger by Ryszard Ber (Cudzoziemka, 1986), and The Polish-Russian War by Xawery Żuławski (Wojna polsko-ruska, 2009), adapted from the novels of the same name by Zofia Nałkowska and Dorota Masłowska. Students will be required to read, at least in part, both texts and to reflect on their cinematic adaptation.

SECOND PART (a further 18 hours, for a total of 54 h, 9 CFU) will consist of a general summary of the major literary currents and historical-political events, from Romanticism to the present day.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bibliography

COMPULSORY READINGS

MANUAL:

History of Polish Literature edited by Luigi Marinelli, Einaudi 2004, from p. 324 to the end.

Further readings will be indicated at the beginning of the course

Non-attending students will discuss with the teacher an additional program.

Polish students and those who wish may read the literary texts in the original language.

Before accessing the exam, at least a week in advance, all students, whether attending or not, will have to prepare a short paper (one or two pages), on one of the subjects of the course, following the instructions in the file Norme per tesi e tesine available on the Teacher Page

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Lessons start: October 2026

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The oral exam will allow to evaluate the student's ability to put in relation the various topics discussed during the course. During the exam, which includes open questions and feedbacks on the entire program covered, will be evaluated the quality of the presentation, the correct use of the vocabulary (in particular in relation to the literary movements and the currents of thought studied), the capacity of critical and temporal orientation.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The student will demonstrate to have assimilated the program, to have acquired the basic knowledge provided during the teaching, to be able to elaborate a short speech both on the subject at will and on those required and to comment on the texts studied during the course semester, placing them in the Polish and European historical and cultural context. Attendance and active participation in the lessons will not only facilitate the exam path but will also be evaluated in the final score.
The essay submitted before the exam will be discussed and evaluated

FURTHER INFORMATION

Polish students may read all the texts in the bibliography in the original language.

Special facilitations will be provided for Ukrainian students.

Students who have duly filed a certification of disability, DSA or other special educational needs are advised to contact both the contact person Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it) and the lecturer at the beginning of the course, in order to agree on teaching and examination methods that, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning methods and provide suitable compensatory tools.