Irish Cinema, Film and Visual Culture Appreciation

“The greatest danger to Ireland comes not from the anglicisation of Ireland but the Los Angelisation of Ireland”  (James Montgomery)

The aim of this 12 week course is to provide students with an overview of the history of cinema in Ireland and the development of film as a medium of artistic expression. It will involve lectures and discussion about some of the key developments in the history of Irish cinema; Kalem, Film Company of Ireland and Ardmore Studios and explore the ways these helped to shape the development of film as a national, cultural and commercial enterprise. We will explore a number of key stages in the history of cinema in Ireland; The Silent Period, 1930s Fictions, Documentaries and examine the wider social, economic and cultural factors surrounding each. We will learn about some of the key ideas and concepts in the study of visual culture including representation and semiotics and study a number of key theories in visual culture concerning denotative and connotative meaning and myth. We will become familiar with the history and politics of Irish cinema and gain an appreciation of different representations of Ireland on screen.

Students will learn about the history of Irish cinema and development of film as a means of national, cultural, commercial expression.

Students will learn about the key developments in the history of Irish cinema and explore how these helped to shape film as a national, cultural and commercial enterprise.

Students will learn about a number of key stages in the history of cinema in Ireland and examine the wider social, economic and cultural factors of each.

Students will learn about some of the key ideas and concepts associated with representation and semiotics and gain an understanding of some of the key issues and debates in visual culture.

Students will learn about the history and politics of Ireland cinema and gain an appreciation for how different representations of Ireland get constructed on screen.