CLIT7801 Creative Cinematic Practice: Experiential Learning in Museum and Film Festival

25/26 Academic Year

Overview of the features and design of the course:

Many films about people who live paycheck to paycheck embrace grim social realism. But this isn't always the case: filmmakers use an endless array of imaginative choices to depict working people. This year, we'll explore some of these films, from Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Camera Buff to Yugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins.

Events or assignment to be covered:

CLIT 7801 will nurture students’ ability to talk and write about films in a thoughtful, rigorous manner. We will start with a class at HKU on 5 September. Then, over the course of the year, we will watch five films together at venerable Hong Kong art-house cinema Broadway Cinematheque in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon. These films will be watched in the company of Broadway Cinematheque’s whip-smart general audience members. Each film will be followed by an in-depth, 1.5-hour discussion with instructor Kate Reilly, fellow students, and loquacious general audience members in the lobby of Broadway Cinematheque. Students will then write short critical responses to each film. Those critical responses will receive extensive feedback from Kate. Students can combine them to form portfolios, which will be useful for pursuing jobs at arts organizations or in journalism, marketing, or PR.

Expectations/ any special requirements that incoming freshmen should be aware of:

CLIT 7801 is fun for people who think watching and critiquing films is fun. But despite being an elective, expectations are as exacting as those for any other MALCS course. Students applying to CLIT 7801 are required to attest in writing that they will fulfil non-negotiable course requirements, including arriving 10 minutes before every screening, staying through the end of our 1.5-hour discussions, writing 300–500 word critical responses, and foregoing any use of AI. Students who use AI in any way will automatically fail the course.