Module manager: Dr Alessio Baldini
Email: a.baldini@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is approved as a discovery module
This module will explore how Italy is imagined on screen and the enduring appeal of Italian films and series among domestic and global audiences. Throughout the module students will look at a variety of Italian films and series. The module will cover different cultural and social contexts, and a range of topics such as Neorealist cinema, the outward-looking cinema from the 1960s, the increasing popularity of Italian series, and the production, consumption, and distribution of Italian films and series in an era of digital convergence (e.g. on Netflix and digital databases). Various approaches to Screen Studies, drawn from different critical standpoints such as Stardom, Audiences, Disability, Gender, and Postcolonial Studies, will accompany students’ understanding, discussion and analysis of Italian films and series. Knowledge of the Italian language is not required. 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 objectives of this module are to:
1. Introduce students to a variety of Italian films and series.
2. Expose students to a range of key issues in Italian Screen Studies.
3. Help students link Italian films and series to key theoretical concepts and broader developments in culture and society.
4. Help students develop an awareness of the wider media ecosystem of production, distribution, and exhibition of films and series.
5. Prepare students to reflect on the relationship between film creators (e.g. directors, actors, producers) and their audiences.
6. Prepare students for a collaborative project which reflects on key issues discussed in this module.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Analyse individual Italian films and series as forms of socio-cultural representation and expression on screen.
2. Appraise key issues, concepts and critical approaches to Italian Screen Studies.
3. Examine the interplay between Italian and global histories and their impact on Italian films and series.
4. Identify the place of Italian films and series in the global cultures of film production, distribution, and exhibition.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
5. Demonstrate visual literacy skills, including the ability to present an analysis of audio-visual material and data
6. Work collaboratively on a research project of some complexity.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drop-in Session | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Lecture | 18 | 1 | 18 |
| Practical | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Seminar | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| Independent online learning hours | 5 | ||
| Private study hours | 165 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 30 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Progress will be monitored by feedback on formative tasks for lectures and seminars throughout the module, privileging a flipped learning approach. The practical sessions will provide students with the technical skills needed to tackle the second assessment, while giving students the opportunity to receive feedback on the hands-on tasks devised for the practical. The drop-in sessions will be used for advice and guidance on the second assessment.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Sequence analysis | 50 |
| Coursework | Collaborative project | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
The resit for the sequence analysis assessment will normally be assessed using the same methodology as the original submission. The modalities of the collaborative project resit will be agreed upon in consultation with the module manager.
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 30/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team