About this course: In many ways Scandinavian film and television is a global cultural brand, connected with and exporting some of the cultural and social values connected to a liberal and progressive welfare society. This course deals with the social, institutional and cultural background of film and television in Scandinavia and in a broader European and global context.
Created by: University of Copenhagen
Taught by: Eva Novrup Redvall, Associate Professor
Department of Media, Cognition and Communication
| Level | Beginner |
| Commitment | 3-5 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Contemporary Scandinavian Film and TV Culture and Dreyer's Classical Cinema
This module consists of two lessons. The first lesson offers an introduction to main trends in the contemporary Scandinavian film and television culture, focusing – among other things – on how the national film and television cultures relate to ideas of the welfare state. The module also addresses the international impact of film and television from Scandinavia. The second lesson deals with the early years of cinema in Scandinavia and the work of the Danish director Carl Th. Dreyer, from a silent film classic such as 'The Passion of Joan of Arc' to the sound film era.ist
6 videos, 2 readings
- Discussion Prompt: Welcome to the course
- Video: 1.2: Scandinavian cinema: trends and international impact, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg
- Video: 1.3: Scandinavian television culture, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg
- Discussion Prompt: Discussion: Public Funding
- Reading: Additional resources
- Video: 2.1: The establishing of early cinema in Scandinavia, by Associate Professor Casper Tybjerg
- Video: 2.2: The golden age of Swedish cinema and Dreyer, by Associate Professor Casper Tybjerg
- Video: 2.3: Sound film and Dreyer's career as filmmaker, by Associate Professor Casper Tybjerg
- Discussion Prompt: Discussion: Early Scandinavian Cinema
- Reading: Additional resources
Graded: Contemporary Scandinavian Film and Television Culture: Main Trends
Graded: Carl Th. Dreyer and the Classical Scandinavian Cinema
WEEK 2
Ingmar Bergman and Lars von Trier
'The Seventh Seal', 'Persona' and 'Cries and Whispers' are just some of the famous films by the acclaimed Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. The third lesson focuses on issues of influences, themes and style in his films as well as on Bergman's importance for the modern art cinema. The fourth lesson deals with the internationally renowned ideas and films by the Danish director Lars von Trier: 'The Europa-trilogy'; The TV series 'Riget'/'The Kingdom'; 'Breaking the Waves'; 'Dancer in the Dark' and 'Dogville'; The Dogma 95 Manifesto; 'Antichrist', 'Melancholia' and 'Nymphomaniac' ...
6 videos, 2 readings
- Video: 3.2: Bergman's film: Themes and style, by Associate Professor Johannes Riis
- Video: 3.3: Chamber films, Persona and the influence of Strindberg, by Associate Professor Johannes Riis
- Discussion Prompt: Discussion: Early Scandinavian Cinema
- Reading: Additional resources
- Video: 4.1: Lars von Trier: The Early Years, by Associate Professor Peter Schepelern
- Video: 4.2: Dogma 95, by Associate Professor Peter Schepelern
- Video: 4.3: Lars von Trier: The Later Years, by Associate Professor Peter Schepelern
- Discussion Prompt: Discussion: Ingmar Bergman's Demons
- Discussion Prompt: Interview with Lars von Trier
- Reading: Additional resources
Graded: Ingmar Bergman: Between Classicism and Modernism
Graded: Lars von Trier and Dogma 95
WEEK 3
New Wave, Art Cinema and Social Drama
Many people have heard of the French new wave cinema, 'la nouvelle vague'. The fifth lesson deals with the main tendencies of the Scandinavian new wave cinema and some of its 'auteurs'. The sixth lesson focuses on different tendencies in the Scandinavian art film and social drama after 1990, ranging from award-winning heritage films to harsh stories from the contemporary Scandinavian welfare societies.
6 videos, 2 readings
- Video: 5.2: Scandinavian new wave: Main tendencies, by Associate Professor Birger Langkjær
- Video: 5.3: Scandinavian new wave auteurs, by Associate Professor Birger Langkjær
- Reading: Additional resources
- Video: 6.1: And the Winner is ... Scandinavian heritage films, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg
- Video: 6.2: Contemporary Scandinavian film success, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg
- Video: 6.3: Modern Scandinavian art films, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg
- Reading: Additional resources
Graded: Scandinavian New Wave Cinema
Graded: Scandinavian Art Film and Social Drama after 1990
WEEK 4
Documentary and Early TV Drama
Scandinavian cinema has a long history of strong documentary film making. The seventh lesson moves from the early documentary filmmakers to the contemporary – global and digital – scene for Scandinavian documentaries. Television drama is important for the Scandinavian public service broadcasters, but the notions of good television drama have changed remarkably from the early days of television up until today. In the eighth lesson we focus on the main tendencies in these developments from 1960 to 2000.
6 videos, 2 readings
- Video: 7.2: A new look at reality: The modern Scandinavian documentary, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg
- Video: 7.3: Documentary in a global and digital world, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg
- Reading: Additional resources
- Video: 8.1: A medium for education: Early television drama, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg
- Video: 8.2: The birth of modern television drama, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg
- Video: 8.3: Stories by instalment: Television and serial narratives, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg
- Reading: Additional resources
Graded: The Scandinavian Documentary
Graded: Scandinavian Television Drama 1960-2000
WEEK 5
Modern TV Drama and the Digital Revolution
With 'Nordic Noir' such as 'Wallander' and 'Forbrydelsen/The Killing' becoming a 'brand' in the 2010s, some 'Scandi crime' series were suddenly of interest to international as well as national audiences. The ninth lesson focuses on Scandinavian television drama after the millennium and addresses some of the changes in the production framework that helped the series move from the national to the international realm. The tenth and final lesson discusses how to understand the contemporary Scandinavian film and television culture in a global and digital era. What might the transnational future bring?
6 videos, 8 readings
- Video: 9.2: Danish public service television drama in the 2000s, by Associate Professor Eva Novrup Redvall
- Video: 9.3: Scandi-Crime and Nordic Noir, by Associate Professor Eva Novrup Redvall
- Reading: Additional resources
- Video: 10.1: The birth of a global online culture, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg
- Video: 10.2: Is Nordic globally cool?, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg
- Video: 10.3: Towards new horizons: Transnational futures, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg
- Reading: Additional resources
- Reading: Instructor profile: Casper Tybjerg
- Reading: Instructor profile: Birger Langkjær
- Reading: Instructor profile: Ib Bondebjerg
- Reading: Instructor profile: Johannes Riis
- Reading: Instructor profile: Peter Schepelern
- Reading: Instructor profile: Eva Novrup Redvall
Graded: Scandinavian Television and DR Production Practices
Graded: Global and Local Digital Economy - Trends and Tendencies
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Ratings and Reviews
Good overview and a lot of extra material on the subject!
If you have an interest in Scandinavian films, this course is a great resource. The lectures were well produced and full of worthwhile information. The accompanying texts were also very helpful. I enjoyed the class and would recommend it to others.
Great course with awesome information! I gave this course 4 stars only because some teachers tend to speak too robotically and end up making the course a bit boring... Overall, the rest was pretty good!
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The course is good for general understanding TV and movie industry in Northern Europe (names, dates, sources).