Exploring Social and Cultural Identities through Film

On the module ‘Exploring Social and Cultural Identities through Film’, students are set weekly mandatory films to watch and be explored during the seminars. The choice of films, though conscious of race, purposely include intersectional identities such as gender, sexualities, disabilities, class. etc, to also explore. These included films such as Hidden Figures (2017), East is East (1999), The Help (2011), Billy Elliot (2005), Moonlight (2016), Fences (2016) Zootropolis (2016) and short films such as Boy (2009), Wale (2018) and Salam (2018).

Resources required:

• Mirroring structure and approach of making content mandatory/core.

Available evidence of impact:

• Engagement from students with materials.

Links to available resources:

• Hidden Figures
• East is East
• The Help
• Billy Elliot
• Moonlight
• Fences
• Boy
• Wale
• Salam

Implementation and potential challenges:

• Engagement/commitment.
• Support from colleagues and seniors at university level.

How to Use:

• Film, and other media that uses fictionalised accounts, offers an accessible way for students to have discussions around themes of race.
• Incorporating films in place of or in additional to readings on race can make students feel more comfortable engaging in these debates.