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Imaging Australia: Australian Film, Literature and Media in Perspective

2010 Program Dates: 14 June to 25 July 2010

Program Overview: .pdf

Highlights

• Includes guided travel to four distinct regions of Australia (Darwin, Canberra, Sydney and Cairns) 
• Earn academic credit transferable to your home degree.
• Gain a comprehensive understanding of Australian film, media and literature.

Click here to view maps and photos

The Program

This course introduces students to the issues that have shaped Australian society and culture, both past and present, through a range of literary, cinematic, and cultural texts. It examines the histories of these cultural forms and the issues that are central to them, and provides students with an understanding of the relations between cultural texts and cultural and national identity. Australian film, media and literature are key sites through which questions of national and cultural identity are represented and debated in Australia, and they are also (though somewhat differently) the means through which international audiences formulate their conceptions of Australia and Australian culture. For instance, Australian culture is often best known to international audiences through its representations in film and literature and through popular “export” figures and through the success of Australian actors (such as Cate Blanchett and Heath Ledger) and directors (such as Baz Luhrmann and Peter Weir) in Hollywood.

This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of Australian film, media and literature through the close study of particular media and literary texts and the examination of Australia’s media and cultural industries. We will explore the history and diversity of Australian film and media culture by viewing and analysing a broad range of Australian films and television programs from internationally renowned feature films to teen films and B-grade cult films, indigenous film and television, documentary, and cult television programs. We will also look at the ways in which literary texts – including short stories, short novels, poetry and plays – image and re-imagine cultural constructions of place, gender and Australian identities over time.

For a look at student created work for this program on YouTube click here .

Locations and Guided Travel

The program travels to a number of locations within Australia. It starts in Darwin, in Australia’s “Top End,” where the highlight is a 3-day camping expedition into Kakadu National Park viewing ancient Aboriginal rock art, crocodiles, and spectacular scenery. Here students will work on the significance of the outback in Australian film and literature and in the cultural imaginary.

The program then moves to Canberra, Australia’s capital and seat of government, where visits will include the National Film and Sound Archives. From there, for 3 weeks, the program will be based at the UNSW campus, 20 minutes from downtown Sydney, Australia’s largest and most active city, and 5 minutes from the beachside suburb of Coogee. The program concludes in Cairns, near the Great Barrier Reef, where after finishing classes, students can then relax and participate in the wide range of activities available there.

Teaching and Assessment

This ninety-hour course focuses on a number of core questions and debates including:

• How have Australian literary, cinematic and cultural texts addressed issues of place and identity?
• What are some of the recurrent concerns and themes in Australian film, media and literature?
• How have Australian literary, cinematic and cultural texts critiqued gender and cultural stereotypes?
• How have Australian literary and filmic texts addressed the nation’s history?
• What constitutes a “national cinema” and what are the functions of a “national cinema”?
• What are the key factors (economic, social, and industrial) that have shaped the Australian film industry?

We will explore these questions by:

• Studying particular themes in Australian film and literature (eg the role of the outback); the popularity of particular genres; and the forms of humour and comedy that characterise Australian popular culture;
• Examining the cultural constructions of the bush, outback, and the city in Australian literature and film;
• Examining the concept of “national cinema” and the social, cultural, and economic purposes of a national film culture;
• Examining the history of the Australian film industry;
• Looking at the differences between the Hollywood film industry and the Australian film industry in terms of funding, distribution, marketing, and exhibition;
• Exploring new directions in Australian feature, documentary and experimental filmmaking, and studying Australian media and television culture;
• Meeting Australian filmmakers and writers (subject to availability); and visiting key film archives

Core activities in this course will be: developing skills in film and literary analysis; critical discussion of theoretical and literary texts; discussion of literary and cultural texts through group and individual activities, both written and oral; developing video making skills.

Assessment for the course will be based on fortnightly assessments and the production of a short video (a group project).

Accommodation

Students will be housed in a variety of accommodation styles when traveling, including shared, budget-style accommodation, serviced apartments and a few nights camping.

Program Fee

2009 Program Fee: $5590 USD
2010 Program Fees:  $6295 USD

The program fee includes tuition (6 UNSW credits, worth 6-8 US credits); all accommodation; excursion costs; airport shuttle services; orientation programs; and a UNSW student card (allowing access to all UNSW facilities); all meals when camping in Kakadu National Park, breakfasts and lunches in Sydney, breakfasts in Cairns, and a light breakfast in Canberra. The program fee does not include other meals or airfares.

Travel

International air travel is organised through Qantas. Packages have been designed to allow students to spend time in the tropical north of Australia on the Great Barrier Reef at the completion of each program, or in a host of destinations such as New Zealand or Hawaii on their return to the US, at little or no extra cost. Upon application participants will be provided complete airfare details.

Credit

Participants in the program are able to obtain credits through universities and colleges in the United States and Europe. This program is approved by UNSW and students will receive their grades on a UNSW transcript. Credit transfer (generally 6-8 U.S. credits total) is subject to home institution regulations so please consult your academic advisor for guidance. Study Australia and UNSW will provide all documentation to overseas institutions to assist in credit transfer.

Admissions Requirements and Application

There are no pre-requisites for this course though it would be of particular interest to students studying Film Studies, English, Media & Communications and Cultural Studies.  Currently, there is a 2.8 minimum GPA requirement for this program.  If you fall below this minimum requirement or you are currently a freshman, please contact to determine eligibility.

The program will cater both to students with video-making skills and those without these skills. Students who have not had video-making experience will be taught the basic skills during the course.

Interested students can apply on-line or download the Study Australia application.

There is a $30 application fee.  In addition, after acceptance into the program a $1000 deposit is required.  The deposit is fully refundable, less a $150 administrative fee, should students withdraw by March 15, 2010.  After March 15, 2010 the deposit is no longer refundable.  In extenuating circumstances, a refund may be a possibility after March 15, 2010, however it is at the sole discretion of UNSW.

Application Deadline: Applications are assessed on a rolling basis until all spots are filled. We suggest interested students apply by April 1, 2010 to avoid disappointment. Interested students seeking to apply after April 1, 2010 are encouraged to contact Tiana McEvoy at 1.800.585.9658 or via as there may be a few spots available on the program.

A pre-departure package for the program will be sent to the applicant once accepted into the program. 

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