Film seminar with Nick Ripatrazone
“The lights go down,” Jules Romains wrote in 1911. “The group dream now begins.”
Over a hundred years later, film remains one of the most powerful and transformative art forms.
This is a class for film lovers. We will spend the week watching and talking about movies—with the recognition that enhancing our understanding of film technique will increase our appreciation for the art form. We will embrace how movies offer us communion; we can come together to share an artistic experience, and yet also form deep and personal emotional connections. Participants will read some dynamic, creative film criticism—and write a bit about films themselves, within an inviting environment that encourages play and contemplation. We will operate with Roger Ebert's principle of "democracy in the dark": all of our voices matter.
This course will increase your appreciation for film—and help you “see” the world with an artist’s attention and care.
Each Day
We will watch movies—in part, and in full—and refine our ability to talk and write about film. We will respond both emotionally and intellectually.
Preparation
We will read “The Language of Film” by Amy Villarejo; this foundational essay will help us talk about film together.
Supplies
Laptop, headphones, writing notebook.
Experience Level
This course is for everyone who loves movies, regardless of film criticism or film analysis experience.
About the Instructor
Nick Ripatrazone is the culture editor for Image. His writing appears widely: Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, GQ, Esquire, America, Kenyon Review, Paris Review, Commonweal, Sewanee Review, Outside, Christianity Today, and elsewhere. He writes for Literary Hub about film, poetry, and literary magazines. He has taught literature, creative writing, and film at Rutgers, The College of New Jersey, and Syracuse University. His most recent books include The Habit of Poetry, Longing for an Absent God, Wild Belief, and Digital Communion.
