MEDIA 313 : Cinema of Aotearoa New Zealand

Arts

2021 Semester One (1213) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Traces a thematic history of filmmaking in Aotearoa New Zealand from the mid-1980s until the present. Locates a range of films in their historical, social and political contexts by concentrating on issues that arise for a small nation defined by indigenous and settler relations, immigration and globalisation.

Course Overview

This course traces a thematic history of filmmaking in Aotearoa New Zealand from the mid-1980s until the present day. While examining a range of films as individual texts and discussing how they are funded and produced, we also locate them in their historical, social and political contexts by concentrating on the issues that arise for a small nation defined by its indigenous and settler past, immigrant present and global future.

Topics include the country’s colonial history, the effects of settlement, the struggle to create a bicultural nation, the film industry’s relationship with Hollywood, changes in the concept of nation in an age of increasing internationalism, and some of the film industry’s favourite themes: sex, adolescence and death (usually by drowning). To help us organise these topics, the course is divided into four thematic blocks: Fourth Cinema, Gothic Adolescence, Settler Irony and the Political Economy of Settlement. We shall look at the ways in which New Zealand films have explored these themes and helped us to (re)tell our history and imagine our nation

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points at Stage II in Media and/or Screen Production Restriction: FTVMS 208, 300, MEDIA 213

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate specific knowledge of the aesthetic construction of the cinema of Aotearoa New Zealand and how this cinema engages with local, national and global concerns. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 6.1 and 6.2)
  2. Analyse New Zealand film as a field connected to institutional, industrial, historical and cultural formations and practices.
  3. Situate New Zealand cinema within a broad understanding of national and international cinema, as well as debates around national and cultural identity.
  4. Research issues pertaining to New Zealand cinema effectively.
  5. Communicate their interpretations of films and arguments about New Zealand cinema in a persuasive manner. (Capability 4.1 and 4.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Multiple Choice Test 1 20% Individual Test
Multiple Choice Test 2 20% Individual Test
Group Presentation 15% Group Coursework
Essay (3000 words) 45% Individual Coursework

Next offered

2021

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 6 hours of reading and thinking about the content per week and 30 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience or Online

This course is offered in two delivery modes:

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials to receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including tutorials.
Attendance on campus is not required for the tests.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Online

Attendance is expected at scheduled online activities including tutorials to receive credit for components of the course.
The course will include live online events including tutorials.
Attendance on campus is not required for the tests.
Where possible, study material will be released progressively throughout the course.
This course runs to the University semester/quarter timetable and all the associated completion dates and deadlines will apply.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 06/01/2021 09:23 a.m.