This course is designed to introduce the basic methods and concepts of cinema studies to both those who are initiating their study of cinema and those who are interested in contextualizing and expanding their current understanding of the cinematic medium. The course is strongly recommended as a pre-requisite for all other cinema studies courses. The course aims to (I) provide a systematic introduction to the key elements of film language – mise en scen, cinematography, editing and sound and (II) introduce the students to the three most influential frameworks of film studies’ organizing categories- auteur, genre and nation. The course has two basic goals: the first is to help students be fluent in the basic vocabulary of film form: the second is to help students develop a range of analytical skills in the study of film and to grasp the mechanics of structuring a written argument about a film’s meaning.