Phantom Projections

Catalog description

The ghost is an iconic figure in literature and film, as well as a powerful metaphor: of memory, regret, longing, inner turmoil, unresolved trauma or guilt. Much like cinema itself, ghosts blur the line between reality and fantasy, challenging perceptions of what is real and what is imagined. This course examines how filmmakers explore the spectral realm to evoke themes of unresolved memories, traumatic events, and the lingering effects of the past. Through an interdisciplinary approach blending cinema studies, writing and hands-on filmmaking, students will reflect on the mysteries of existence and the nature of consciousness by exploring this powerful metaphor in a series of original works. Investigating the blurred boundaries between dreams, imagination, and the supernatural, we'll analyze how filmmakers use visual language and narrative techniques to create ghostly encounters that defy rational explanation. We will examine films that spurn conventional representations of "ghost stories," and instead delve deeper into themes of mortality, human psychology and emotions so powerful they can not be contained by death. Screenings include: "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives," "Heart of a Dog," "Hausu" and "Personal Shopper" (amongst others). Student projects will include shooting and editing narrative, documentary and hybrid short films that creatively interpret representations of haunting.