FS20210 Women's Authorship in American Cinema

Academic Year 2023/2024

This module explores the many and various ways that women have made movies in the United States. It examines a range of women filmmakers, from women film pioneers in early cinema to prominent contemporary directors, from Marion Wong, Lois Weber and Dorothy Arzner to Greta Gerwig, Kathryn Bigelow and Chloé Zhao. Furthermore, it explores the work not only of women directors but also issues of collaborative and multiple authorship and the authorship and creative labour of women in non-directorial roles. The module provides a grounding in histories and theories of feminism and feminist film scholarship as they relate to film authorship. It interrogates how women’s authorship has been theorised, how women’s authorship challenges dominant theories of film authorship, and how feminist film history has sought to recuperate women’s creative labour. Finally, it explores how women’s films have represented and responded to the changing lives of American women over the course of cinema’s existence.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

● Reflect on and analyse key theoretical debates related to women’s film authorship
● Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of feminist film history and theory
● Demonstrate critical ability to apply theoretical concepts and frameworks
● Critically engage with a range of films across the course of the module

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

12
Laboratories

12
Studio

24
Specified Learning Activities

26
Autonomous Student Learning

26
Total

100
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
lecture, group discussion 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Continuous Assessment: class participation and contribution Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

10
Essay: final essay Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

60
Continuous Assessment: sequence analysis Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

30

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Name Role
Ms Ciara Dempsey Tutor
Midia Mohammadi Tutor
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Autumn
      
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Thurs 14:00 - 14:50
Film Screening Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Thurs 16:00 - 18:50
Workshop Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Fri 10:00 - 10:50
Workshop Offering 2 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Fri 12:00 - 12:50
Workshop Offering 3 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Fri 09:00 - 09:50
Workshop Offering 4 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Fri 11:00 - 11:50
Autumn