Spring 2025: March 27 — April 25 (5 weeks)
Subject: FILM
Course Level: 200
Number of Credits: 1 U.S. / 2 ECTS
Max Enrollment: 22
Schedule: Thu, Fri 17:00 – 18:20 CET (Berlin) | 9:00 – 10:20 AM EDT (New York)
Language of Instruction: Russian
Course Prerequisites: Russian B2 / Equivalent or higher

The history of cinema in the Balkans is closely related to the regional history – full of constant suffering, or at least patience and resourcefulness. Film industry around the Balkan countries works not because of, but mostly despite the economic and political situation. Headed by the former partisan leader Josip Broz aka Tito, Yugoslavia insisted on the independence of its leftist path and quickly fell out with Stalin.

Thanks to this, Yugoslavia did not have the same rampant censorship as the rest of the countries of the USSR buffering zone in Europe. If neighbouring Hungary was often called “the most cheerful barrack of the socialist camp,” then the Yugoslav federation was not a barrack at all. Private property, local business and trade around the capitalist world were allowed there. Cinema also enjoyed much greater freedom than in Poland, Czechoslovakia and notably in the USSR.

The course offers an overview of the exciting and original Yugoslav cinema with an emphasis on the best examples of the so-called “black wave” (Crni Val) and partisan cinema of the 1960s and 70s, the phenomenon of Emir Kusturica and the reasons why and where the Balkan cinema is popular outside the region. Finally, the course pays attention to redesigning the film industries in the countries that survived the Balkan wars of the 1990s. There’s also a good reason to take into account the experience of neighboring countries – Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. To sum up, the course tells a bloody and emotional story, seen through the lens of a movie camera, which was so often pointed by the gun.

Guidelines for the Statement of Purpose:
Craft a reflective statement of purpose explaining your interest in the Smolny Beyond Borders online course. The file should be saved with your name and course title as the filename and uploaded accordingly. Your statement’s clarity and substance will significantly influence our selection. Convey your motivations and aspirations for this course succinctly but thoroughly. Kindly write your statement in the course’s Language of Instruction.

Application Portal Instructions:
1) Use the Latin alphabet for all entries on the portal, including your name. If the Language of Instruction is Russian, you may use Cyrillic only within the Statement of Purpose file, and the title of the file should still be in English.
2) Refrain from using email addresses associated with Russian or Belarusian educational institutions.
3) While completing the “Required Information” section, ensure you fill in the “Province” field for your address.
4) Provide an address outside Russia or Belarus in both the “Required Information” and “Geographic Location Confirmation” sections of the “Online Course Application”. This ensures we can send your transcript.
5) You must press the “Sign” button twice during the application.
6) If you hold a bachelor’s degree, select “4th+” in the “Academic Year (online)” section.
7) Applicants either unaffiliated or affiliated with educational institutions in Russia and Belarus should list ‘Smolny Beyond Borders’ as their educational institution.
8) In the student ID section, enter ‘SBB’.
9) Consider drafting your motivation letter ahead of time. Save it as a separate file with this format: LastName_FirstName_CourseTitle for a smoother application process.