Global film (two-film study)

Global film (two-film study) is a core component of the WJEC A-Level Film Studies specification, requiring students to analyse two non-Hollywood films from different global contexts. This topic explores how cinema reflects and shapes cultural identities, political ideologies, and social structures beyond the dominant Western narrative. By studying films from diverse regions—such as Asia, Africa, Latin America, or Europe—students develop a nuanced understanding of film as a global art form, examining how filmmakers use narrative, mise-en-scène, and cinematography to express local perspectives and universal themes.

This study is crucial because it challenges ethnocentric assumptions about filmmaking and encourages critical engagement with representation, colonialism, and globalisation. Students must consider how the films' production contexts (e.g., national film industries, censorship, funding) influence their content and style. For example, a film like 'City of God' (Brazil) reflects socio-economic inequality through its kinetic editing and non-professional actors, while 'The Battle of Algiers' (Italy/Algeria) uses documentary realism to depict anti-colonial struggle. Understanding these contexts allows students to move beyond simple plot analysis and engage with the films as cultural artefacts.

Within the wider subject, this topic connects to other areas such as 'American film' and 'British film' by providing a comparative framework. It also links to critical debates around auteur theory, genre, and spectatorship. Mastery of global film analysis demonstrates a student's ability to apply film studies concepts (e.g., ideology, representation, narrative structure) to unfamiliar texts, a skill highly valued in examinations and further study. The two-film study typically forms part of Component 1 (Varieties of film and filmmaking) or Component 2 (Global filmmaking perspectives), depending on the exam board's current specification.