About this Course

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In many ways Scandinavian film and television is a global cultural brand, connected with and exporting some of the cultural and social values connected to a liberal and progressive welfare society. This course deals with the social, institutional and cultural background of film and television in Scandinavia and in a broader European and global context.

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Beginner Level

Approx. 15 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 15 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.7/5 (96 Ratings)

Eva Novrup Redvall

Associate Professor

Department of Media, Cognition and Communication

22,125 Learners

1 Course

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating96%(3,643 ratings)

Week

1

Week 1

3 hours to complete

Contemporary Scandinavian Film and TV Culture and Dreyer's Classical Cinema

This module consists of two lessons. The first lesson offers an introduction to main trends in the contemporary Scandinavian film and television culture, focusing – among other things – on how the national film and television cultures relate to ideas of the welfare state. The module also addresses the international impact of film and television from Scandinavia. The second lesson deals with the early years of cinema in Scandinavia and the work of the Danish director Carl Th. Dreyer, from a silent film classic such as 'The Passion of Joan of Arc' to the sound film era.

3 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 66 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

6 videos

1.1: Scandinavian cinema and the welfare state, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg8m

1.2: Scandinavian cinema: trends and international impact, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg8m

1.3: Scandinavian television culture, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg12m

2.1: The establishing of early cinema in Scandinavia, by Associate Professor Casper Tybjerg11m

2.2: The golden age of Swedish cinema and Dreyer, by Associate Professor Casper Tybjerg11m

2.3: Sound film and Dreyer's career as filmmaker, by Associate Professor Casper Tybjerg13m

2 readings

Additional resources10m

2 practice exercises

Contemporary Scandinavian Film and Television Culture: Main Trends30m

Carl Th. Dreyer and the Classical Scandinavian Cinema30m

Week

2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Ingmar Bergman and Lars von Trier

'The Seventh Seal', 'Persona' and 'Cries and Whispers' are just some of the famous films by the acclaimed Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. The third lesson focuses on issues of influences, themes and style in his films as well as on Bergman's importance for the modern art cinema. The fourth lesson deals with the internationally renowned ideas and films by the Danish director Lars von Trier: 'The Europa-trilogy'; The TV series 'Riget'/'The Kingdom'; 'Breaking the Waves'; 'Dancer in the Dark' and 'Dogville'; The Dogma 95 Manifesto; 'Antichrist', 'Melancholia' and 'Nymphomaniac' ...

3 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 69 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

6 videos

3.1: Bergman and the modern art cinema, by Associate Professor Johannes Riis9m

3.2: Bergman's film: Themes and style, by Associate Professor Johannes Riis12m

3.3: Chamber films, Persona and the influence of Strindberg, by Associate Professor Johannes Riis10m

4.1: Lars von Trier: The Early Years, by Associate Professor Peter Schepelern12m

4.2: Dogma 95, by Associate Professor Peter Schepelern12m

4.3: Lars von Trier: The Later Years, by Associate Professor Peter Schepelern13m

2 readings

Additional resources10m

2 practice exercises

Ingmar Bergman: Between Classicism and Modernism30m

Lars von Trier and Dogma 9530m

Week

3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

New Wave, Art Cinema and Social Drama

Many people have heard of the French new wave cinema, 'la nouvelle vague'. The fifth lesson deals with the main tendencies of the Scandinavian new wave cinema and some of its 'auteurs'. The sixth lesson focuses on different tendencies in the Scandinavian art film and social drama after 1990, ranging from award-winning heritage films to harsh stories from the contemporary Scandinavian welfare societies.

3 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 75 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

6 videos

5.1: Birth of new wave cinema, by Associate Professor Birger Langkjær8m

5.2: Scandinavian new wave: Main tendencies, by Associate Professor Birger Langkjær9m

5.3: Scandinavian new wave auteurs, by Associate Professor Birger Langkjær14m

6.1: And the Winner is ... Scandinavian heritage films, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg13m

6.2: Contemporary Scandinavian film success, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg14m

6.3: Modern Scandinavian art films, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg14m

2 readings

Additional resources10m

2 practice exercises

Scandinavian New Wave Cinema30m

Scandinavian Art Film and Social Drama after 199030m

Week

4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Documentary and Early TV Drama

Scandinavian cinema has a long history of strong documentary film making. The seventh lesson moves from the early documentary filmmakers to the contemporary – global and digital – scene for Scandinavian documentaries. Television drama is important for the Scandinavian public service broadcasters, but the notions of good television drama have changed remarkably from the early days of television up until today. In the eighth lesson we focus on the main tendencies in these developments from 1960 to 2000.

3 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 81 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

6 videos

7.1: Discovering reality on film: The early documentary, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg11m

7.2: A new look at reality: The modern Scandinavian documentary, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg12m

7.3: Documentary in a global and digital world, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg14m

8.1: A medium for education: Early television drama, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg10m

8.2: The birth of modern television drama, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg18m

8.3: Stories by instalment: Television and serial narratives, by Professor Ib Bondebjerg13m

2 readings

Additional resources10m

2 practice exercises

The Scandinavian Documentary30m

Scandinavian Television Drama 1960-200030m

Reviews

4.7

134 reviews

5 stars
76.86%
4 stars
17.79%
3 stars
3.02%
2 stars
1.24%
1 star
1.06%

TOP REVIEWS FROM SCANDINAVIAN FILM AND TELEVISION

by ASJul 11, 2020

Marvelous!! Pretty effective to study Scandinavian Films...!!! Got to know many experimental filmmakers through this course!!! Dear course instructors, Take a Bow...!!!

by NSJun 19, 2021

A great course that touches upon Scandinavian film and televison both in terms of art, its main features and particularities, and its history and development as an industry.

by DHApr 17, 2016

Very interesting course, helps understanding of a number of Scandinavian television crime dramas that have made it to the UK.

by CSJul 5, 2017

I found the course to be informative and well-structured, all together a great means to begin and maintain an interest in Scandinavian Film and Television. Thanks.

View all reviews

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Scandinavian Film and Television

Scandinavian Film and Television

About this Course