BA Film Studies and English Literature / Course details

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.

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. 
   

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. 

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

• 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 

• 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 

• 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 

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

Assessment Task	Formative or Summative	Weight within unit (if summative)
Individual scene analysis	Summative	25%
Comparative essay	Summative	75%

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