Movies and meaning: A christian study of cinema.
Stevenson, Geoffrey (United Kingdom)
Communication-Media arts
English

We have scheduled this workshop as follow:
A series of 4 workshops (total number of workshops) in 4 days, so each day is 1 workshop hour.

This workshop has been placed in the following category:
Communication-Media arts.

Maximum number of participants:
12.

The needed artistic level for this workshop is:
Beginners.

The skills criteria for participants to follow this workshop are:
Post-academic.

You will have learned after doing this workshop:
Students will have studied a range of approaches to film criticism, and developed skills in appreciation and evaluation of theological and cultural questions raised by cinema.
The aims are:
1) To look at religious questions raised by popular and art-house movies, and to consider how and where these questions can be explored in apologetics, evangelism and preaching.
2) To study the theological significance of a range of religious films from Europe and America.
3) To become aware of the some of the distinctive theological resources available through film to media practitioners, audiences and Christian communicators.

What materials/equipment you need to bring to be able to do this workshop:
Please come prepared to talk for 3 minutes about a favourite moment or scene from the movies. If possible, also bring the scene on DVD (but this is not necessary).

Other important things a participant should know to be able to do this workshop:
Different films will be discussed this year from other years, but it is not necessary to have completed previous modules. Students should aim to attend all four workshops, however.

The content of this workshop is:
This module aims to build on the modules given in 2006 and 2007, and seeks to develop the ability to understand, appreciate and critique contemporary cinema from Christian standpoints. A range of films from popular culture and ‘art-house’ cinema will be studied. Some will have religious subjects, others will be ‘secular’ films with religious themes.
This year the module will look in depth at a single film in each workshop. Titles of films to be confirmed. We will outline and discuss the cultural significance and our personal responses to the films, read and discuss brief articles. The style will be interactive, and a minimum of lecture!