Instructor

Prof Mazhar Kamran

Semester

Spring’ 2022

Course Difficulty

2/5, 5 being the most difficult A major part of the course was attending the weekly film screening and writing up about it. So, if one has an interest in cinema*, the course would go seamlessly for them. It is a part of the design minor’s course basket and can be taken in any year since it is pretty much independent of any other course.

Time Commitment Required

During the course, there was one ~1hr class on Wednesday and a film screening on Friday night. Writing up about the films after watching them was required as part of the assignment but didn’t take too long (an hour or two per film but that might depend).

Grading Policy and Statistics

Wasn’t too lenient or too harsh. I’d say don’t take it up if you’re just looking for an easy AA/AB.

Attendance Policy

Attendance during the lectures and screenings wasn’t mandatory but contributed a certain fraction (~20%) to the final grade.

Pre-requisites

None

Topics Covered in the Course

*World Cinema; which includes pretty old films from various countries like Russia, Italy, France, Japan, etc. Some of these may be abstract or a tad boring at times but offer great insight into the characters and the culture they’re based in. During the lectures, the professor discussed about filmmakers from different countries and film-movements across the world. But the discussions also often transitioned into art in general and sometimes about his experiences in filmmaking. The course was NOT about filmmaking but rather about learning to watch and appreciate films critically.

Teaching Style

The professor, an FTII alum, has worked on landmark Hindi films like Satya (as a cinematographer) and possesses a thorough understanding of world cinema. He discusses the different world cinema filmmakers and their styles during lectures which incites curiosity within the students. The discussions with him were always super interesting and enlightening, especially if one is into cinema, art and literature.

Tutorials/Assignments/Projects

Apart from attendance, which accounted for around 20% of the final course total, there were 2 things expected:

1. A film diary
2. Presentation on a filmmaker of one’s choice At the end of the course, the students were required to submit a “film diary” containing write-ups about 10 films that were screened as part of the course. They were supposed to include whatever the films made the student feel and think. The activity made the students think critically about the thought provoking films and write whatever moved them during the film’s runtime. There weren’t any constraints as such but the write-up were to be personal and not like a film review. The course also included a short presentation to be done by students individually to the professor about one filmmaker of their choice, preferably a director like those discussed during the course. The professor expected the students to watch at least 3 films by the chosen director before presenting.

Feedback on Exams

There were no mid-sem, end-sem or any other written exams.

Motivation for taking this course

No future tracks as such, as far as I know. The course introduces you to a plethora of films and filmmakers from across the world, and is one of a kind in the institute as far as I know. The core emotional appeal of these diverse films transcend their geographical boundaries and that is something you learn to appreciate throughout the course. When I took the course in spring sen 2022-23, the professor said it can be re-tagged as an elective but I suggest that if you’re planning to do so, make sure it is allowed by the department.

Review By: Ayush Agarwal