BA Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Diaspora and Displacement in Iberian Film

Course unit fact file
Unit code SPLA31172
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 3
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This course examines how the cinemas of Spain and Portugal have approached different experiences of migration and forced displacement, both at a national and a transnational level. In particular, it explores the role of cinema in representing the interrelated processes of migration, colonialism and decolonisation since the 1930s. It takes in a broad range of material, from propaganda film incentivising emigration to the former Portuguese colonies, to radical documentaries about the depopulated Iberian countryside and the plight of marginalised communities in contemporary Iberian cities such as Lisbon, Barcelona and Seville. Students will learn how the diverse techniques of filmmaking relate to key political and theoretical debates, such as national and regional identities, the status of marginalised people and the future of dwindling rural communities in the context of environmental breakdown. The course also draws links between patterns and the experience of migration from different social groups and historical periods. All films are available with English subtitles and no knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese is required.

Aims

The unit aims to:

  • Develop a cross-cultural, comparative understanding of migration and diaspora over the past century;
  • acquaint students with key cinematic works from Spain and Portugal and develop a comparative understanding of their recent histories;
  • acquaint students with the diverse techniques of filmmaking and how they relate to political and sociological debates. 
     

Syllabus

Class topics are centred on eight specific films. An indicative list of films is provided below (listed chronologically by release date —the films will not necessarily be studied in this order):

Tierra sin pan (Luis Buñuel, 1933)

Feitiço do império (António Lopes Ribeiro, 1940)

Trás-os-Montes (Margarida Cordeiro/António Reis, 1976)

En construcción (José Luis Guerin, 2000)

No Quarto da Vanda (Pedro Costa, 2000)

Tabu/Taboo (Miguel Gomes, 2012)

Polígono Sur: el arte de Las Tres Mil (Dominique Abel, 2003)

Fátima (João Canijo, 2017)

O que arde (Óliver Laxe, 2019)

The films are contextualized with reference to social history and using examples of other, cognate media representations of the issues under analysis. 

Teaching and learning methods

  • Lectures (synchronous on-campus)
  • Group work in seminars  
  • Learning through informed viewing, reading, note-taking, interaction, self-monitoring, drafting and redrafting of coursework pieces 

Knowledge and understanding

  • Develop an understanding of a wider range of films and their surrounding cultural and historical contexts
  • Develop an understanding of migration and displacement (nationally and internationally) and their relation to socio-historical changes in Spain and Portugal
  • Recognise the language and techniques of cinema and how they shape political and theoretical debates 

Intellectual skills

  • Develop informed, formal analyses of film in context
  • Develop an appreciation and critique of different forms of filmic representation
  • Compare issues and debates from different historical periods and geographical contexts 

Practical skills

  • Improve their writing skills
  • Improve their ability to carry out comparative analyses
  • Improve their ability to work with a range of source materials, from classic cinema to sociological research and film theory 

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Improve their ability to interact and discuss complex issues with peers
  • Communicate their ideas clearly in writing
  • Enhance their intercultural understanding 

Assessment methods

Assessment TaskFormative or SummativeWeight within unit (if summative)
Individual scene analysis Summative25%
Comparative essay Summative75%

Feedback methods

In-class feedback on group workFormative
Additional one-on-one feedback (in office hours or by appointment)  Formative

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 11
Seminars 22
Independent study hours
Independent study 167

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
David Bailey Unit coordinator
Carlos Van Tongeren Unit coordinator

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