Description
FLM210: WHAT’S SO FUNNY? HUMOUR IN WORLD CINEMA
New Course Offered: 2022 Term 1. Eight consecutive sessions per Term. First class meets Thursday beginning 17 February 2022, 7:00-9:30pm, and the last class meets on Thursday 7 April 2022.
Location: EarthDiverse, 401 Anglesea Street, Hamilton Central, Hamilton (see map below under Location tab).
A survey of, and discussion about, examples of contemporary World Cinema, framed around expressions of humour on film (satire, parody, the human condition). The intention is to explore different approaches to what makes audiences laugh or smile, and how film can speak to the local and familiar. The films, and subsequent discussions will explore the idea of a national sense of humour in film (What makes a Japanese audience laugh? What do Finnish filmgoers find funny?), but also how expressions of humour can cross geographical and cultural barriers. Given this theme, the emphasis will be on the lighter side of World Cinema but the films we see will also illuminate issues around politics, cultural values and identity.
Weekly Programme:
- Week 1: Introductions. What is World Cinema? Defining ‘humour.’ Short films
- Week 2: Dominant forms of humour: British sense of humour vs American sense of humour. Film excerpts
- Week 3: Is there a New Zealand sense of humour? Film: Hunt for the Wilderpeople
- Week 4: Humour in Australian film.Film: The Castle (1997)
- Week 5: Guest lecturer (to be confirmed). Film: to be confirmed
- Week 6: Humour in Asian cinema. Film: Fine, Totally Fine (Japan 2009)
- Week 7: Humour in Scandinavian cinema. Film: Rams (Iceland 2015)
- Week 8: Your choice of film. Film(s): to be confirmed
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course.
Distance Learning: This course is in-person only and has no distance-learning options.
Dr Geoff Lealand, PhD was an Associate Professor in Screen and Media Studies (formerly Film & Television Studies) at the University of Waikato from 1992 to 2017. He taught a World Cinema course there, as well as undergraduate/graduate courses on Media Studies, Television Studies, Children and Media, Research Methods and writing. Since retiring (a word he dislikes), he regularly volunteers for conservation ventures such as Seeley Gully and Friends of Waiwhakareke, works on his own large garden, writes and publishes on film and social history, does research for NZ On Air, and maintains his website Cinemas of New Zealand <https://cinemasofnz.info> (est. 2010). He is the current president of the Hamilton Film Society and plays a part in local film-making (see The Reel People of New Zealand, and Costa Botes’ forthcoming doco When The Cows Come Home).
DISTANCE-LEARNING OPTIONS:
This course is in-person only and has no distance-learning options.
- Detailed Syllabi are available at the start of each Term.
- Any Term can be taken independently of the others, and there are no prerequisites for any of the Term courses.
- This class has no assignments, quizzes, tests or exams.
- Some preparation however is required for familiarising yourself with the short stories, myths and texts prior to each course session.
- Sources for accessing and reading these are provided each week, either via PDF or web-based URL for on-line reading, downloading or printing at home.
- You will not need to purchase any reading materials.
- All classes encourage questions and group discussion.
- PDF copies of each class presentation are emailed to all participants the next day so that you are free to focus on class content rather than taking notes. You are most welcome to come, sit back, relax, take part in and enjoy the discussions!
- Course fees include a short tea/coffee/snack break in the middle of each session.
- There are no refunds for missed classes.
- Guests of registered participants are welcome to attend a single class at no charge.
- Certificates of Completion for any particular Term Course or Series are available for Professional Development purposes upon request at the end of each Term or Series.
Cost per person per Term (8 classes):
- Waged: NZ$150 (includes GST + online registration fee)
- Unwaged (unemployed, students, seniors): NZ$125 (includes GST + online registration fee)
Prices for Waged and Unwaged registrants remain the same regardless of your chosen method for accessing our courses. This means that you have the option to mix and match access between attending our regularly-scheduled live class sessions in our Hamilton classrooms, accessing our live class sessions on-line via Zoom at the regularly scheduled class meeting time (no matter where you are located), or watching the video-recorded sessions anywhere at a time and date of your choosing. This allows you to study at your own pace and in your own time.
Once registered, you have three choices for attending your course:
- attend our in-person class sessions in our Hamilton classrooms,
- Zoom in to our live classroom sessions and participate in discussions,
- access the live-recorded class sessions each week. This allows you to register for an entire course, even though the scheduled class session day/time may not be suitable to your schedule. You may also use this option to watch any recorded session for review, or in case you may miss a class session due to prior engagement, being away, or due to illness. This allows you to catch up with any “missed” sessions at a more suitable time.
Once registered, you will receive detailed instructions on how to access our courses via either of the distance-learning options, i.e. live access via Zoom, or watching the video-recorded sessions.
LOCATION: All in-person classes are held at the EarthDiverse offices and classrooms located at 401 Anglesea Street, Hamilton Central, Hamilton (located just north of the Hamilton Central Bus Station) (entrance is located on the side of the building, see map below). Those looking for parking for our evening classes can park just in front of the building in any of the available car parks. Daytime parking can be found in our dedicated car parks, or free 2-hour on-street daytime parking can be found just in front on Anglesea Street.
DISTANCE LEARNING: This course is in-person only and has no distance learning component.
