Archival Encounters: Material Film Histories (EAFM089)

30 credits

This module explores the relationship between film and the archive. It will guide you through a range of case studies exploring the international histories and contemporary practices of film archiving from the perspective of the researcher, the donor, the archivist and the public user. We consider how and why film and film culture has been preserved through diverse archival practices. The focus will be upon hidden histories and the uncollected/undercollected in film history. The module will enable you to gain a deep understanding of key currents in archival film theory and to apply these to the use of physical and digital archive collections from across the country.

Your study will be grounded in Exeter’s own internationally significant film archive the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum. Here you will work hands-on with a range of archival ephemera, interact with film archive curators and develop your skills in archival cataloguing and research. Module assessment will enable you to undertake detailed critical analysis of archival practice and artefacts and build your skills in working with public-facing archival cataloguing and digital curation.