Aktuell
Lehrveranstaltungen des Wahlpakets Filmwissenschaft im Wintersemester 2026
610013 AG Global American Studies: Global Cinema Networks
Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Christian Quendler
This course explores the intricate webs of global cinema networks and examines how film functions geopolitically, projecting globalized visions of the world. Through the lens of affective, semiotic, narrative, and ideological networks, students will investigate cinema's powerful role in shaping international discourse. The introductory module of this course is dedicated to theoretical foundations. We will survey key concepts and methodologies for studying cinema as a network. Students will engage with apparatus theory, actor-network theory (ANT), and contemporary theories of world cinemas. In the remainder of the course, students will organize into groups to trace cinematic networks across international, transnational, and global contexts. Our curated filmography spans a diverse range of media, including early film travelogues, classical Hollywood and independent cinema, experimental documentaries, and contemporary video installations.
610024 SE American Film and Media I: Psychedelic Cinema
Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Christian Quendler
Driven by the contemporary revival of clinical interest in LSD and the cultural normalization of microdosing, this seminar re-examines the rich history of psychedelic cinema. Moving beyond mere countercultural nostalgia, we will investigate how mind-altering cinematography challenges traditional film theory and expands human consciousness. Chronologically, the course spans from classic studio and underground hallmarks like 2001: A Space Odyssey and the works of Kenneth Anger to contemporary trips like Gaspar Noé’s Enter the Void. Using key texts on cosmic consciousness, posthumanism, and gender dynamics, students will analyze how screen technologies mimic altered states. We will explore how hallucinatory aesthetics, color, and avant-garde narratives reshape our understanding of cinematic ecosystems, national identity, and global politics.
610023 VO American Film and Media I: The Literary History of American Cinema
Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Christian Quendler
This lecture course offers a historical survey of American cinema of the 20th and 21st centuries, exploring its dynamic relationship with popular American literature. Throughout the course, we will analyze the evolving functions that literary texts assumed during important cinematic movements and periods in film history. Our chronological journey spans from the early "cinema of attractions" and the foundational transition to classical Hollywood cinema into the gritty world of pre-code independent films and the shadows of classic film noir. We will examine the decline of the traditional studio system and the contemporary rise of comic-book franchise films. Students will investigate how page-to-screen adaptations have shaped American popular culture, national identity, and visual storytelling across generations.