EGL 289 - The Essay Film Workshop

Course Units: 1.0

Deriving its meaning from the French essayer: to try; to attempt, the essay film is an experiment in form and expression. Weaving together elements of fiction and documentary, the essay film foregrounds the subjectivity of the filmmaker and engages the viewer as participant and collaborator. Relying heavily on montage, the essay film often employs found footage as well as cinema verité techniques-where the camera acts as quasi-therapist, eliciting new performances and confessions. In an approach combining theory and practice, we will explore the many aspects of the essay film genre. Foundational readings by Michel de Montaigne, Georg Lukács, and Phillip Lopate will be paired with visual essay by Issac Julian, Chantal Akerman, Mona Hatoum, and Marlon Riggs among others. Experimenting with form and method, students will produce weekly writings and visual exercises and an extended essay film. Cross-Listed: FLM 289 Prerequisite(s): One 100-level English course or a score of 5 on the AP English Language or Literature and Composition test. CC: HUL, HUM ISP: AMS, FLM