Short films as a means of communication-, compensation-, discourse- and inter-/intra media. A critical hermeneutics of short films for religious education

Abstract

This article examines short films as media of communication, compensation and discourse in religious education and develops a critical hermeneutics of short film. The starting point is the observation that, in the classroom, short films are often limited in scope and used primarily as a means of conveying subject matter. In contrast, the authors emphasise the specific aesthetics, ambiguity and media complexity of the short film. Key categories here are the interplay between ‘story’ and ‘discourse’, as well as inter-, intra- and transmedia references. Through condensation, gaps and open endings, short films open up independent approaches to questions of meaning and promote active reception processes. Using the film ‘YELLOW’ as an example, the book demonstrates how cinematic design elements generate meaning and trigger socio-religious discourses. A critical short-film hermeneutics thus expands film didactics by placing greater focus on the medium itself. The aim is a reflective, media-literate and dialogue-oriented use of short films in religious education.