Learning and Teaching Day 2012

'Crossing cultures through Film': clips and debate with MA Documentary Film students on understanding 'otherness' through artwork

  • Pratap Rughani

Brief description of session and activities

  1. Brief intro to the context – devising a more inclusive MA curriculum, where a broader mix of students can put down roots.
  2. Presenting examples of the graduation work of Documentary Film students, including film clips, showing work that extends our ideas of what constitutes cultural capital and achieves excellence.
  3. Group workshop exercise on recognizing cultural capital.
  4. Short film example of cross-cultural collaboration and its challenges - involving student exchange in Japan.

How will students be involved in the session?

Students will present their insights in appreciating the value of plural cultures, including navigating cultural differences. Many arrive at ideas for their major projects and films that emerge from a validation of their experience.

What will participants take away from the session?

Examples of how students find their voice, not in a way that essentialises their experience, but enables them to empathise with a broad mix of experience in authoring new film work.