Masters of Cinema: Claire Denis

About this course

The course examines Claire Denis’s filmmaking career through selected key films and short extracts. Discussion considers how sound, images and acting explore sensory and ecological ideas, alongside recurring concerns including postcolonialism, migration, gender, the gaze and desire. Teaching combines tutor-led material with discussion in small and larger groups. Denis’s relationship with arthouse and genre cinema is also considered, giving learners a framework for examining both her methods and the wider themes across her work.

What you'll learn

• Identify key films and stages in Claire Denis’s filmmaking career.
• Examine sensory and ecological approaches in Denis’s use of sound, images and acting.
• Discuss the treatment of postcolonialism, migration, gender, the gaze and desire in her films.
• Analyse how Denis’s work relates to arthouse and genre cinema.

Is this course right for you?

This introductory course is intended for learners without prior expertise in film history or film analysis. It involves viewing short extracts and contributing to tutor-led discussions in both small and larger groups.

• Suitable for learners approaching Claire Denis’s work for the first time.
• Participation includes discussion with other learners as well as film viewing.