Film studies is a genuinely interdisciplinary academic field. An encounter with films of different genres, styles, periods and national industries is the core of the subject, and as a film student you will naturally devote a lot of time to viewing films, reading and writing about them, and discussing their meaning and importance. Through practical modules, you will also gain hands- on experience of the roles of producer, director, screenwriter and actor, gaining crucial insights into the fundamental aspects of film production. However, this is just the beginning. Film studies fosters an understanding of visual aesthetics, narrative forms and technological ability, but that also leads students into areas of study as diverse as history, politics, philosophy, technology and performance.Film studies demands creative and original thought. For example, you will question how class, race, ethnicity and sexuality are represented on the screen. You will investigate why this might be different from country to country, or from period to period. You will think about film production in terms of the development and impact of new media technologies. You will examine the effects of international commerce on the type of films that we get to see, and probe the impact of practices and regulations such as censorship, cultural policy, star systems, festivals and industry awards. You will think critically and theoretically about media practices, and anchor this understanding in a framework that is both intellectually rigorous and culturally relevant.This programme enables you to combine modules in Film Studies with modules in American, British and European history. More particularly you will be able to choose modules centred on the unique film cultures which developed in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United States throughout the Twentieth Century and beyond. The first year combines modules which introduce you to key concepts in film studies with modules in modern history. In the second and third years, you are encouraged to select pathways that combine modules on the history of a particular country, particularly those that focus on a country’s film history and culture. In your final year, you work on primary source material either through a document-based special subject or through original research on a subject of your own choice, leading to a 10-15,000 word research dissertation.