Kellogg Community College students taking English professor Matt Samra’s LITE 17: Film Interpretation class beginning in January will watch and discuss movies in KCC’s Davidson Auditorium as part of their coursework.
The hybrid class is worth three credits and will run from 11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. Mondays from Jan. 23 through May 8, with in-person and online components. The in-person part of the class will be held in the Davidson Visual and Performing Arts Center Auditorium on campus at 450 North Ave. in Battle Creek, where students will watch movie clips on the large auditorium screen.
Samra said films covered will include “Do the Right Thing,” “Jaws,” “Moonlight,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “The Social Network” and “Winter’s Bone,” along with many others, ranging from important historical and experimental movies to contemporary films. Along the way, students will learn more about how elements such as set design, cinematography, editing and sound contribute to a film’s overall meaning.
The official LITE 217 course description from KCC’s Academic Catalog describes the class as, “An introduction to film, including visual elements, meanings and genre through study of outstanding examples of historical and contemporary feature films.”
The required text for the class is “Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film,” by Dave Monahan and Richard Barsam.
Practical benefits for those taking the class as part of potential degree or transfer requirements include the following:
- LITE 217 fulfills one of the two class requirements from the Personal and Cultural Engagement category of General Education/Applied Core classes required to earn an associate degree at KCC.
- LITE 217 is among the classes that can be used to fulfill requirements in the Humanities and Fine Arts category of the Michigan Transfer Agreement.
- LITE 217 transfers to more than a dozen colleges and universities in Michigan. Click here for a list of colleges and universities in Michigan LITE 217 will transfer to.
According to the official learning outcomes for the course, students who complete LITE 217: Film Interpretation will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of historical and cultural contexts in cinema and filmmaking in both foreign and domestic films.
- Practice close reading and analysis of film and texts discussing films.
- Demonstrate competence in the tasks required to successfully analyze.
- Write a persuasive interpretation of a film with a clear controlling idea and credible, well-organized evidence to support an argument.
For more information about LITE 217: Film Interpretation, contact Samra at samram@kellogg.edu. For information about signing up for winter/spring classes, the first of which begin Jan. 17, visit kellogg.edu/registration.