Course: Non-Western Film Culture

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Course title Non-Western Film Culture
Course code KZU/NFKM
Organizational form of instruction Seminar
Level of course Master
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 3
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Libicher Miroslav, Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
Course Content: 1) Introduction and Course Overview 2) Global vs. Local Poetics in World Cinema 3) Introduction to Popular Cinemas 4) Chinese-Language Cinemas I: Mainland China (PRC) 5) Chinese-Language Cinemas II: Hong Kong and Taiwan 6) Chinese-Language Cinemas III: The Chinese Action Film (Wuxia, Kung Fu, Heroic Bloodshed) 7) Arab World Cinemas I: Egypt 8) Arab World Cinemas II: Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Others 9) Turkish Cinema 10) South Korean Cinema 11) North Korean Cinema 12) Southeast Asian Cinema I: Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Others 13) Southeast Asian Cinema II: Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Others

Learning activities and teaching methods
Lecture, Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Projection (static, dynamic)
  • Homework for Teaching - 6 hours per semester
  • Preparation for the Exam - 10 hours per semester
  • Attendace - 26 hours per semester
Learning outcomes
The objective of the course is to introduce students to popular film culture originating outside the Western cultural sphere, drawing upon selected (predominantly Asian) national and regional cinemas. The lectures and discussions will be framed primarily through the lenses of cultural studies and film poetics. The course will examine the specific dynamics of film production and viewership in the countries covered, the tensions between local and global cultural or aesthetic elements, and the ways in which knowledge of non-Western cinema can enrich our understanding of popular cinema as a whole. Additionally, students will be introduced to relevant resources for conducting deeper research on each of the featured national cinemas.
Upon completing the course, students will gain a foundational overview of the history and cultural specificities of the featured national cinemas. They will acquire a broader, less ethnocentric perspective on the phenomenon of popular cinema, develop an appreciation for the aesthetic qualities of non-Western films, and understand their poetics along with the broader historical, cultural, and production contexts from which these poetics emerge.
Prerequisites
The course is open to all students interested in the topic. However, participants are expected to possess a basic familiarity with the fundamentals of popular culture studies and, ideally, with core concepts of film analysis. (Students lacking this background are recommended to consult: KOKEŠ, Radomír D. Rozbor filmu. Brno: Masaryk University Faculty of Arts, 2015, pp. 13-55). The course content and lectures will be tailored primarily to Master's-level students.

Assessment methods and criteria
Oral exam, Student performance

To successfully complete the course, students are required to: Maintain regular seminar attendance (a maximum of two absences is permitted). Successfully complete continuous assignments (e.g., assigned reading excerpts). Pass the final colloquium, which will take the form of a discussion on the assigned films in relation to the course topics. Additionally, throughout the semester, each student must independently watch at least 12 films selected from a list recommended (or approved) by the lecturer.
Recommended literature
  • Anne Tereska Ciecko. (2006). Contemporary Asian Cinema: Popular Culture in a Global Frame.
  • David Bordwell. (2000). Planet Hong Kong: Popular Cinema and the Art of Entertainment..
  • Lim, S. H., & Ward, J. (Eds.). (2020). The Chinese cinema book.
  • Shafik, V. (2016). Arab cinema: History and cultural identity.
  • Teo, S. (2016). Chinese martial arts cinema: The wuxia tradition.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Indonesian Studies (2022) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Media Studies - Media Analysis specialization (2019) Category: Journalism, library science and informatics - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2023) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Korean Studies (2023) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Korean Studies (2022) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2023) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Japanese Philology (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2023) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2023) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Media Studies - Communication Studies specialization (2019) Category: Journalism, library science and informatics - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Media Studies - Journalism Studies specialization (2019) Category: Journalism, library science and informatics - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Media Studies - Cultural Studies specialization (2019) Category: Journalism, library science and informatics - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -