ILCF: cinema for learning
updated on 21 June 2023
ILCF - Institut de Langue et de Culture Françaises
Lights, camera... Action! As part of their French language training at ICLF, twenty students learned how to make their own film during the course "the making of a short film". In this 22-hour program, students work on the theoretical basics of film and filmmaking, before getting behind the camera to make their own short film.
"It's an exercise in project-based learning, the goal is to rely on the creativity of the students," explains Lise Moyon, a teacher at ICLF who initiated the course. A format that allows students to learn by doing, and to free themselves from the pressures of the classroom. "It was interesting to be able to create something ourselves," agrees Mariana, "it was a good mix between learning new things and working on our ideas."
The reason why making a short film is so well suited to project-based learning is that it is the ultimate collective art form! Making a film requires a wide variety of talents, allowing each student to express themselves according to their strengths. The most creative students work on the script, the most expressive become actors, the most rigorous supervise the script... "It requires a lot of group work and communication," notes Luisa.
The students themselves gave a new dimension to this class. In addition to working on their French, they chose to learn from each other. "I noticed a lot of things that were natural to me, but not in other countries," explains Oscar, "but we also understood what brings us together."
The three films they made share a common theme: the meeting in France of different cultures. The 6th Extinction deals with the environment through the differences in ecological behavior between countries. When Parallel Lines Cross is about the daily life of two students in Lyon, one Korean and one Colombian, showing their differences as well as their similarities. Finally, Sweet & Savoury proposes to travel around the world thanks to the students' culinary specialties.