Department of Mass Communication, St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) conducted a special lecture on “Language of Cinema” for its postgraduate students on February 17, 2025 at the university campus. The resource person was Dr. Ipsita Barat, a senior faculty member of St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata.

The session focused on the evolution of film grammar and then delved into the various instances of cinema that developed their own film language due to their unique situation. Dr. Barat gave examples of Asian, Iranian, American, French, Italian, German, and Soviet cinema to elaborate on how cinema language evolved across the world and how it is distinct from each other. She delineated on the history of film movements like French new wave, Italian neorealism that was a direct outcomes of World War II.

She also explained how editing techniques, depiction of themes, characterisation and storytelling in every country’s cinema is distinct and suit that particular country. She provided examples of films and filmmakers along with relevant film clips to explain the nuances of film language.

The lecture was a great learning experience for the students who gained knowledge about cinema history and a bird’s-eye perspective on evolution of cinema language across the globe. The event concluded with an interaction with students.

Dr. Nitesh Tripathi