Teaching Responsibility

LJMU Schools involved in Delivery:

Liverpool Screen School

Learning Methods

Lecture

Practical

Seminar

Module Offerings

6045FILM-SEP-MTP

Aims

To explore the history of African American representation in American cinema.

To introduce students to a range of theoretical and analytical perspectives from which to study Black texts.

To situate the development of Black filmmaking and black identity within wider debates of race, class, gender, culture and American nationality.

Learning Outcomes

1.
To articulate detailed knowledge of how African American identity has been constructed by the film industry.
2.
To critically apply various theoretical readings to Black American cinema.
3.
To analyse and rigorously evaluate how Black filmmakers have had to create a voice from the margins.
4.
To critically evaluate Black filmic performances and productions within a historical context.

Module Content

Outline Syllabus:
This module introduces students to the history of African American representation in film. The course will involve different theoretical readings and will situate African American filmmaking and identity within wider debates of race, culture, class, gender and American nationality. The module will also inform students of Liverpool's role in the Atlantic Slave trade and involve a field trip to the Museum of Slavery.
Module Overview:
The module produces students with a historical overview of Black American identity in film. Topics covered include Minstrelsy, Early Black Pioneers, Stereotyping and Marking, The Emergence of Black Stars, The Civil Rights Era, Blaxploitation, Gangsta Films, Intersectionality and Black Lives Matter.

Assessments

Presentation

Essay