Film & Media: Films for Wellbeing

This is not so much a traditional film studies course, but a course intended to explore which (kind of) films can contribute to our health and how. We’ll explore how films make us feel good – and equally how they can upset us by bringing up difficult topics and emotions - and learn about the emotional power of cinema’s storytelling. If we’re feeling down, what films may we want to sit down to enjoy and which ones should we leave for another time? Why do some people enjoy horror films and others don’t? How can a film’s visuals, sounds and look ‘bath our souls’? We’ll also look at different films on well-being: stories of recovery, role models and relevant histories; documentations that deepen our understanding of conditions and therapies. Finally, we’ll discuss films that work for us individually and why. This course is for all those with an interest in actively managing their well-being; those interested to explore new aspects of film and film reception; and those interested in the psychology of art. No prior knowledge or experience of film studies is required. During our session, we’ll look at film clips and discuss them. It isn’t a prerequisite to watch all of the films in

their entirety. Background will be provided as will resources on further viewing and reading afterwards.