Video essays on the memory of socialism

This course, implemented as part of an international Erasmus collaboration, can be deemed experimental from multiple perspectives. Firstly, it involved collaborative efforts among film students from three universities: the Film and Television Faculty at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (FTF VŠMU) in Bratislava, Slovakia; Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania (Sapientia Erdélyi Magyar Tudományegyetem), Department of Film, Photography, and Media, Kolozsvár/Cluj, Romania; and ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Film Studies, Budapest, Hungary. Secondly, it integrated online introductory theoretical sessions with multi-day in-person attendance and joint practical work. Thirdly, it sought activities to blend project-oriented group work with theoretical knowledge applicable to audiovisual production (filmmaking).

Throughout the course, mixed groups of students from the three universities produced video essays on the topic of the memory of socialism, exclusively utilizing found footage (archive materials) without permitting separate shooting. Other than these constraints, the only requirement was that the work pertained to the theme of the memory of socialism, serving as an inspiring and engaging common platform for students from diverse cultural and post-socialist backgrounds.

The course structure involved four introductory online sessions in March 2024 on Wednesday afternoons. Following these sessions, participants delved into defining the video essay and discussing theoretical aspects related to the project through presentations by various scholars from the three universities. This encompassed topics such as found footage and archival use, the memory of socialism, and the genre and audio-visual design of documentary or non-fictional works.

In-presence sessions, organized by the ELTE Department of Film Studies in Budapest from April 15 to 19, 2024, focused on group work and the preparation of video essays. Group composition begun during the online sessions, enabling members to familiarize themselves and initiate discussions on their film topics in advance. In addition to filmmaking-oriented classes and sessions, the attendance period included visits to archives and workshops in Budapest.