The course offers an introduction to Spanish cinema from the beginning of democracy in Spain, during the seventies, until today, with a particular attention to those movie-makers that stand out for their artistic value as well as for their capacity to reflect the most important characteristics of Spanish contemporary reality and culture. The different course sessions will explain the plural imaginary of the most recent Spanish cinema, through the work of filmmakers such as Pedro Almodóvar, Víctor Erice, Julio Médem, Alejandro Amenábar, or José Luis Guerín. Students will have the chance to study the particular poetic art of these authors, the evolution of movie genres, and the importance of cinema in the Spanish society framework, as well as to attain throughout the course knowledge of cinematographic theory, and resources to analyze movies and establish relations with other type of artistic expressions, such as literature and painting. Finally, the course will offer the necessary theoretical tools to contextualize all other important issues within social, political and economical evolution in Spain, of the last decades.

Methodology:

The course will be imparted in Spanish, with the support of different audiovisual examples. Teacher explanations will be combined with student debates and presentations. Students should form groups to present small expositions during class sessions, on the twelve movies that will be shown (in Spanish with English subtitles). At the end of the course, each student should hand in a paper on the film and subject chosen by him/her.

Evaluation criteria:

The final grade will be the result of class presentations on the films shown (20%), participation during class and during the debates (15%), a partial exercise (15%), and the final paper (50%), that will be handed at the end of the course.

Program:

Theme 1: Spanish cinema Ander Franco’s regime. Censorship. Luis Gº Berlanga, Luis Buñuel and Carlos Saura.

Theme 2: New perspectives of Spanish cinema during the Transition. Víctor Erice.

Theme 3: Spanish cinema of the 80’s. Genre cinema. Spanish comedy.

Theme 4: Pedro Almodóvar’s cinema.

Theme 5: Cinema and imaginary. Julio Medem

Theme 6: The 90’s. Spanish thriller. Alejandro Amenábar.

Theme 7: Cinema by women; women in cinema: Isabel Coixet and Icíar Bollaín.

Theme 8: Parody and genre postmodern reinterpretation. Álex de la Iglesia.

Theme 9: Realism, society and cinema. Fernando León, Iciar Bollaín.

Theme 10: Independent production. Jaime Rosales, Marc Recha.

Theme 11: Creation documentary. Joaquim Jordà, José Luis Guerín.

Extracurricular activities:

Attendance to theatre screenings of Spanish movies.

Recommended bibliography:

Allison, Mark, Un laberinto español. Las películas de Pedro Almodóvar. Madrid: Ocho y medio, 2003.

Arocena, Carmen, Víctor Erice. Madrid: Cátedra, 1996.

Borau, Jose Luis, Diccionario del cine español. Madrid: SGAE, 1998.

Buñuel, Luis, Mi último suspiro. Barcelona: Plaza & Janés, 1982.

Edwards, Gwynne, Indecent Exposures. Buñuel, Saura, Erice & Almodóvar. Londres-Nueva York: Marion Boyars, 1995.

Gubern, Román, Historia del cine español. Madrid: Cátedra, 1995.

Gubern, Román y Domenec Font. Un cine para el cadalso. 40 años de censura cinematográfica en España. Barcelona: Euros, 1975.

Heredero, Carlos,20 nuevos directores del cine español. Madrid: Alianza, 1999.

----------------- Espejo de miradas. Entrevistas con nuevos directores del cine español de los noventa. Madrid: Ed. 27 Festival de Cine de Alcalá de Henares, 1997.

Holguín, Antonio, Pedro Almodóvar. Madrid: Cátedra, 1994.

Hopewell, John, El cine español después de Franco. Madrid: El Arquero, 1989.

Huici, Adrián, Cine, Literatura y Propaganda. De Los santos inocentes a El día de la bestia. Sevilla: Alfar, 1999.

Kinder, Marsha, Blood Cinema. The Reconstruction of Nacional Identity in Spain. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.

Monterde, J. E., Veinte años de cine español. Un cine bajo la paradoja. (1973-1992). Barcelona: Paidós, 1993.

Ordóñez, Marcos, La bestia anda suelta. Álex de la Iglesia lo cuenta todo. Barcelona: Glénat, 1997.

Ponga, Paula et. al. Hipótesis de realidad. El cine de Fernando León de Aranoa. Melilla: UNED, 2002.

Smith, Paul Julian, Desire unlimited: the cinema of Pedro Almodóvar. Londres: Verso, 1994.

VV.AA., Imagen, memoria y fascinación : notas sobre el documental en España; IV Festival de Cine Español de Málaga. Madrid: Ocho y medio, libros de cine Málaga : el Festival, 2001.

Yarza, Alejandro, Un caníbal en Madrid. Madrid: Ediciones Libertarias, 1999.

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