Christmas at the cinema

About this course

The course examines how Christmas films use genre conventions, narrative structure and visual style to express ideas associated with the festive season. It considers familiar titles alongside darker, less conventional and lesser-known examples, including films whose status as Christmas movies remains debatable. Teaching combines an opening lecture with big-screen screenings and selected film clips. These provide material for group discussion and debate about classic status, seasonal themes and the features that distinguish a Christmas film from a story merely set at Christmas.

What you'll learn

• Identify genre traits associated with Christmas films
• Analyse narrative components in Christmas cinema
• Examine the visual style of Christmas films
• Discuss and debate a selection of key Christmas films
• Evaluate lesser-known examples within the genre

Is this course right for you?

The course is intended for learners at all levels who enjoy watching films and discussing their ideas with others. Participation includes sharing views, listening to differing perspectives and contributing to group discussion and debate.

• Suitable for learners at all levels
• Includes group discussion and debate
• Requires engagement with film screenings and clips

Before you go

• Film extracts are shown during the course, so learners do not need to obtain the films themselves.