“Film is barely over a century old — younger than the Eiffel Tower. So I built my syllabus to mirror the timeline of cinema itself.”— Erick Pessôa
The 2 cycles.
2 classes in allAt a glance
4
Lessons per cycle
2
Timeline cycles
2
Classes in all
2
Years duration
60%
HL production weight
The method
Each 4-lesson cycle introduces a moment in film history, connects it to cinematic techniques, moves into practical production labs, and closes with summative assessments. Built around the IB’s inquiry → action → reflection model. At HL, 60% of the grade is production (Film Portfolio 25% + Collaborative Film Project 35%), and 40% is research and analysis (Textual Analysis 20% + Comparative Study 20%).