Program Highlighted | Cinema Studies
Interview with | Kathe Rogers
Date | April 2002

Introduction |

What do we mean by Cinema Studies?
The Cinema Studies Program at the University of Toronto treats film as a unique and powerful art with its own traditions, history, conventions and techniques. Classified among the Humanities disciplines in the Faculty of Arts and Science, the Program offers courses film analysis, film history and film theory. Cinema Studies focuses on methods of research and scholarly discourse particular to cinema study.

Instructors from a variety of departments and colleges within the Faculty of Arts and Science participate in, and bring their disciplinary expertise to, the teaching of Cinema Studies. This contributes significantly to the breadth, perspective and variety of course offerings within the Cinema Studies Program.

What kind of courses can I expect to find in the Program?
To guide the student in course selection and to underline the differences between our more than 30 courses, they are grouped into distinct categories:

Core Courses: Three fundamental courses representational of Film Analysis, Film History and Film Theory are compulsory in the Program. They are the foundation of Cinema Studies.

Film Theory and Genre Courses: Most Film Theory courses study writings by the foremost world thinkers on the art of film. Relevant films are used to illustrate writers' arguments. In such courses students encounter texts which consider such questions as: the justification for the inclusion of film among the arts; notions of realism in the cinema; the identification of the authorship of certain films; the relative merits of mise en scène and montage; and structuralist, post-structuralist, feminist, semiotic and post-modern concepts of film. Courses on documentary and avant-garde film are loosely grouped here as genre courses.

National Cinemas: This category contains courses offered by instructors from the various Departments of Languages and Literatures. Students find here courses in American, Canadian (English and French), Czech and Slovak, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Soviet and Spanish Cinemas. The approach in these courses is normally historical or cultural; nevertheless, many instructors include in their

courses pertinent film theory and formal analysis. No knowledge of the original language is required as films are shown with English subtitles.

Interdisciplinary Courses: These courses combine interest in cross-disciplinary subject matter. Departments offering courses here include History (American Popular Culture), The Study of Religion, Anthropology (Ethnographic Film). Courses in the Filmic Adaptations of Literary and Dramatic Texts are grouped here, as are courses on Surrealism and Semiotics as they pertain to cinema.

Senior Seminars: Small groups of advanced students work on more specialized aspects of film studies. These seminars are limited enrolment in a student-generated, faculty approved topic.

What can I do with an undergraduate degree in Cinema Studies?
Pursuing an undergraduate degree (i.e.) a Major, Minor or Specialist, should be approached in somewhat the same way as a parallel Arts and Science program in literature, fine art or history. The knowledge acquired is historical and theoretical; the skills are analytical and critical. The program does not prepare you in practical hands-on terms to become a filmmaker. However, the Cinema Studies undergraduate degree is an excellent base from which to pursue the technical and production aspects of filmmaking offered at York University, Ryerson University or at a number of Community Colleges. Many of our students have continued and built upon their Cinema Studies education at one of the above institutions after graduation.

Some of our graduates have found employment in film archives, with film distribution companies, as arts and entertainment journalists and in television studio administrative positions. Still others after further study have gone on to careers in teaching and library science. Combining Cinema Studies with another program such as Women's Studies, Religious Studies and History to name only a few of the possible subjects, can provide an interesting and personalized university degree.

Interview | Kather Rogers

Kather Rogers is a fourth year, Innis College Cinema Studies student. For the complete interview click here.

For furher information about the program in University of Toronto and beyond, click here.