ACTION! RESEARCH: A New European Methodology for Film Literacy is the image education project of Milano Film Network, reserved for junior high schools, born with the funding of Europa Creativa and carried out in the 2016-2017 school year.
Action! Research: a new European Methodology for Film Literacy
The project was born with the intention of responding to the challenge launched by the European Commission to promote film literacy activities across the continent and was based on the method of research – action to be implemented in 4 lower middle schools in Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and Romania. Milano Film Network was the leader of the project, and the partner associations were Croatian Film Association in Croatia, Otok in Slovenia and CineCultura in Romania.
AREM’s first goal was to develop a common methodology for film literacy activities that could then be adapted to different contexts. The project also aimed to promote intercultural dialogue between partners through the use, as tools of knowledge and analysis, of films on interculturality and migration issues in Europe.
In a first phase of co-design , all partner associations worked together to develop a common methodology and tools, based on the pedagogical approach of research – action and applicable to the different contexts involved. Students, their parents and teachers were actively involved in this process.
In a second phase, the methodology is tested and implemented in the 4 schools, one in each partner country, and on an experimental class and a control class for each school. During this phase, 8 short films (2 proposed by each partner) and 1 feature film were the subject of workshops and classroom screenings, on a monthly basis. All partners used the tools developed in the co-design phase during the workshops, thus ensuring the scientific approach of the project.
Throughout the period of implementation of the classroom activities, the project website, www.aremproject.eu , was created to ensure collaboration and sharing between partners and to be, during the work of implementing the research methodology – action , a kind of activity diary of each partner. A specific part dedicated to interaction is used by students to post and share photographic and video materials made during the workshops.
The films chosen for the workshop work reflected the social and cultural context of each partner association and were chosen for their cinematic value applied to a specific message: during the classroom workshops, educators and experts analyzed the films with particular attention. to cinematographic language as a vehicle for promoting European integration and the values of intercultural dialogue.