Module manager: Dr Claudia Sternberg
Email: c.sternberg@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module explores migration and diaspora(s) in Europe through the lens of narrative cinema. Using examples from the 1970s to the present, we examine Western and Eastern European feature films about migrants and diasporic subjects and analyse the representational strategies used by filmmakers with or without a migratory or diasporic background. The module engages with narratives about postcolonial and multicultural societies, documented and undocumented migration, forced displacement, intra-European mobility, Europe’s ethnic minorities, and global geopolitical and economic entanglements. Additionally, it considers legacies of the colonial imaginary and how the myth or ‘idea’ of Europe has been constructed as well as challenged. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
The module situates and advances cultural (film) analysis – as introduced and practised in your first two years of study, within the wider field of postcolonial studies and diaspora criticism. The guided engagement with a selection of theoretical texts and relevant films enables you to recognise and discuss the relationship between the (popular) representation of migrant and diasporic experiences and socio-political discourses of mobility, postcoloniality, ethnicity, race, immigration, national identity, and cultural diversity. The module also encourages reflection on your own position in and vis-à-vis contemporary Europe.
The module is structured around film screenings, lecture parts and seminar discussions, complemented by practical sessions that support you in developing additional digital literacy skills. To apply your understanding, you contribute to Wikipedia by improving or creating articles related to filmmakers or migration-themed films. In doing so, you engage with the ethical and editorial standards of public knowledge platforms and learn to communicate research-based insights in accessible formats. Multilingual students can also work across languages by translating existing Wikipedia articles and comparing how migration and diaspora are represented across different linguistic versions. These activities encourage reflection on collaboration, cultural framing, linguistic nuance and the global circulation of film narratives.
On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:
1. research and analyse narrative films about migration and diaspora;
2. distinguish between different approaches to the representation of a culturally and linguistically diverse Europe;
3. process and apply theoretical concepts and information about social and historical contexts in an analytically astute and culturally sensitive manner;
4. assess, critique, enhance and complement published texts about migrant and diasporic cinema.
On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:
5. adapt your research and writing skills to non-academic contexts;
6. contribute content to Wikipedia, demonstrating awareness of sourcing standards, editorial neutrality and collaborative authorship.
Introduction to digital storytelling
Introduction to film review writing
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Film Screenings | 9 | 2 | 18 |
| Lecture | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Practical | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Independent online learning hours | 6 | ||
| Private study hours | 150 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 44 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Students prepare a digital self-portrait introduce themselves and their background with special reference to migration and mobility. Private study time is also dedicated to module readings, additional screenings and writing the assessed essay.
Prior to the teaching period, students enrolled in the module will be directed to online tutorials about digital storytelling (including introduction to and case studies of the genre, use of respective image software and the recording of sound, e.g. Audacity). All tutorials and software packages are free of charge.
The Wikipedia training workshops allow for immediate feedback and responses to technical and editorial questions and challenges. The module leader is supported by Wikipedia experts at UoL which adds further value to the feedback.
The students receive additional feedback and a (lower-weighted) mark for their term-time submission. The term-time tasks are pre-designed to give students module-related access points on Wikipedia as practice opportunities and preparation for the end-of-term assignment.
For their final assessed work, students share their ideas and plans in good time prior to the submission deadline through the one-to-one ‘Journal’ function on Minerva, receiving bespoke responses and suggestions from the module leader.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Assignment | 70 |
| Coursework | Assignment | 30 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Students will be given the same type of task for a resit, however this may change on a case-by-case basis as appropriate with the agreement of the Director of Student Education.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team