Offering the perfect introduction to London and to British Cinema, this module will enable you to develop valuable insight into the history and culture of London through film with a focus on three key themes in the representation of London on film: Victorian London, London at War and Swinging London. This module focuses on films which are set and shot within walking distance of King%E2%80%99s; you will explore the cultural diversity of urban life, focusing on the cinematic representation of fictional Londoners such as Sherlock Holmes, Dorian Gray and Sweeney Todd.

Target group
This course is open to all students, in particular to those with a background in Arts and Humanities (Film and Media Studies, English Literature, Cultural Studies) and British History and Social Sciences (Cultural and Historical Geography). Students with a keen interest in British cinema, film history, and the history of London are very welcome. Students with a different background (Science, Medicine, etc) are also expected to benefit from the course and enjoy the ways in which this subject relates to the environment we where we live, work and study: London.

Course aim
This module is intended to introduce students to some significant debates within British film studies through a focus on three key historical moments in British film-making and the representation of London on film during those periods. Major themes will include theatrical and literary adaptation; the relationship of the cinema industry to other cultural media, particularly as they circulated in and around London through theatre, literary and periodical publication, news media, etc; the relationship between cinema and the state though censorship, state sponsored propaganda, legislative encouragement of the film industry; cinema and youth audiences, popular music culture and the film-going habit. The module will draw on both historical critical material and current film studies writing to provide an overview of the evolution of discussions within film studies around British cinema. The wider concerns of theoretical writing about both London and it's place within the Empire, and about the city within film as a symbol of modernity will form a persistent element of the module.

Fee info
GBP 1500: tuition fee only

King's College London
Address: Strand, London
Postal code: WC2R 2LS
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
Website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/summer
E-mail: summerschool@kcl.ac.uk
Phone: +44 20 7848 1533