Summer film courses at UM

Teachers - Would you like to learn how to effectively incorporate film into your courses?

Check out The University of Montana Teaching With Film Institute!

This summer we are offering five outstanding one-week film-related courses that focus on ETHICS, NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES, SCIENCE, ANTHROPOLOGY and VIDEO PRODUCTION.

All courses are three credits, and may be taken for graduate or undergraduate credit.

For more information, contact Sean O’Brien at (406)243-5791 or e-mail sean.o’brien@mso.umt.edu.

Access the TWFI website at http://www.edu/ce/summer/twfi/htm.

Courses Offered:

Film as Anthropology ANTH 495UG (June 23-29))

Taught by Garry Kerr, Anthropology Department

When viewed with a critical eye, films on past and/or distant societies inform viewers about the culture portrayed as well as the culture that gave rise to the portrayal. In this course we will examine both dramatic and documentary films on Native Alaskans, Australian Aboriginees, and chimpanzee societies, learning to discern fact from fiction as we go.

The Good, the Bad and the Indulgent: Film and the Construction of Virtue -PHIL 444UG

(offered July 14 – July 20) Taught by Sean O’Brien, Philosophy and English Departments

What do Fight Club, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors have in common? Not only are all three examples of expert filmmaking, but each of these films also implicitly or explicitly poses answers to the question of how moral character is formed. In this intensive one-week class, we will examine these and other films in light of a variety of theories that focus on the development of virtue.

The Science in Science Fiction – CHEM 495 (July 14- July 20) Taught by Garon Smith, Chemistry

Is Harry Potter a good chemist? Could the Star Wars X-wings really turn on a dime? Are Superman’s feats more plausible than we might think?

While science fiction films let our imagination take flight, how much of what is portrayed in these fanciful settings a reasonable extrapolation of an established scientific principle? This course will scrutinize certain classic and contemporary films in order to determine how well the filmmakers knew their science. We will both laugh and learn from some of the great scientific gaffes in film history.

Native Americans Filmmakers - NAS 495 (July 21 - July 27) Taught by Angelica Lawson, Native American Studies

Most of us are familiar with typical Hollywood representations of Native Americans in film, but much less familiar with films made by Native Americans themselves. Do these films engage in or confront our history? Who is their audience? How can they affect change or challenge the status quo? In this class we will explore a broad range of Native American film genres emphasizing important directors, writers, and actors. We will discuss how to use these films in the classroom to address issues of representation, as well as social and political issues of importance to Native communities.

Making Movies: Just Do It –Media A 495UG – (July 21-27)

Co-taught by Sean O’Brien, Philosophy Department and Michael Murphy, Media Arts Department

This course will prove valuable for teachers from a wide variety of disciplines who are interested in learning how to integrate a low-technology video project into their classrooms. It will cover the very basics of video production in a one-week intensive format, focusing on the fundamental principles involved in writing, directing, shooting, and editing a dramatic short (a short video drama.) Individuals taking the course will be required to produce such a short by the end of the week.