• Offered by School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics
  • ANU College ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
  • Course subject Film Studies
  • Academic career UGRD
  • Course convener
    • Dr Catherine Summerhayes
  • Mode of delivery In Person
  • Offered in Second Semester 2014
    See Future Offerings

This course offers a broad study of documentary film and theory which addresses the many kinds of style, form, content and social performance issues related to documentary filmmaking and reception. Films will range from early documentary through to animated and experimental/art documentary, transcultural, and web-based documentary; screeenings will include documentaries made for television as well as for theatrical release. The course will particularly focus on the significance of documentary as a 'non-fiction' format and will interrogate the relationship between past and present filmmaking technologies and the blurring of fiction and non-fiction in documentary film. Discussions will also include the categories of docudrama and 'mocumentary'. Students who take this course will develop a broad understanding of 'non-fiction' film and the ways in which documentary films operate in a social context -as unreal presentations of time and space in real life.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

On completion of this course, students will have the ability

1.To locate Documentary Film within the wider field of Cinema

2.To analyse Documentary for its ability to comment on society, for its aims for its outcomes

3.To investigate, research and discuss how Documentary works as a 'truth saying' platform.

Indicative Assessment

Tutorial presentation and participation (20%), Learning Outcomes 1,2,3.

1,500-2,000 word essay (40%) Learning Outcomes 1,2,3

1,500-2,000 word essay (40%).Learning Outcomes 1,2,3.

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Workload

3 hour combined lecture and screening and a one hour tutorial/seminar per week plus 6 hours of combined assessment preparation and private weekly reading

Requisite and Incompatibility

To enrol in this course you must have completed 12 Units of 1000 level courses.

Prescribed Texts

Nichols, Bill, Introduction to Documentary, Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University Press, 2010

Electronic readings also will be put on e-reserve.

Assumed Knowledge

Film Analysis

Minors

Fees

Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.  

If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Students continuing in their current program of study will have their tuition fees indexed annually from the year in which you commenced your program. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.

Student Contribution Band:
1
Unit value:
6 units

If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.  Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.

Units EFTSL
6.00 0.12500
Domestic fee paying students
Year Fee Description
1994-2003 $1164
2014 $2478
2013 $2472
2012 $2472
2011 $2424
2010 $2358
2009 $2286
2008 $2286
2007 $2286
2006 $2286
2005 $2286
2004 $1926
International fee paying students
Year Fee
1994-2003 $2574
2014 $3246
2013 $3240
2012 $3240
2011 $3240
2010 $3240
2009 $3240
2008 $3240
2007 $3132
2006 $3132
2005 $3132
2004 $2916
Note: Please note that fee information is for current year only.

Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

The list of offerings for future years is indicative only.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.

Second Semester

Class number Class start date Last day to enrol Census date Class end date Mode Of Delivery Class Summary
8810 21 Jul 2014 01 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 30 Oct 2014 In Person N/A

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