Minot State’s film studies minor offers deep insight into the everyday
MINOT, N.D. – As people stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, they are logging on to streaming services in record-breaking numbers.
Minot State University’s film studies minor offers perspective into the content being consumed.
“Our film minor offers students a deeper insight and appreciation for something we all do every day: watch TV, watch YouTube, watch Netflix,” Jean-Francois Mondon, Minot State associate professor of French, German, Latin, and linguistics, said. “We put so much TV-watching in our lives, why not learn something about films so as to make the experience even more meaningful?”
When people think of film studies, they often first think about film production. While important, another major leg of the University’s minor is the analysis of films as works of art. A blend of required and optional coursework includes a wide range of choices such as Film Genres, French Film, German Culture, and Digital Design: Motion.
With several different options across the humanities, the minor shows how cross-disciplinary film studies is.
“Film studies is not a monotonous field,,” Mondon said. “I teach the German and French film courses – taught in English – and I am consistently amazed by the quality and depth of insight represented in the papers my students submit. I had a student, who I believe was a history major, who would use film as a stepping point to analyze the deep philosophical issues for himself and his own life.”
By using film as a jumping off point to discover and analyze nearly any aspect of life, the minor can benefit any student, regardless of major.
“I think majors in nearly every possible field will find something that piques their interest in this minor. I have had music majors take film courses, and they do a wonderful job at analyzing the musical scores and decisions made by directors. I’ve had business majors who appreciate the window into German/European history as reflected in some of the films we watch, giving them a deeper insight into the factors that have made modern Europe what it is,” said Mondon. “For students primarily interested in film production, this minor would be a nice addition to a broadcasting major since it would give the students a wider sense of film history, theory, and criticism. For students interested in acting, this minor would be nicely coupled with a theatre minor.”
For more information about the film studies minor at Minot State University, Mondon can be reached at jeanfrancois.mondon@MinotStateU.edu.
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
| Published: 04/30/20 |
