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SP35JH: IBERIAN CROSSROADS: CONTEMPORARY SPANISH FILM A (2015-2016)

Last modified: 25 Mar 2016 11:39


Course Overview

This course will study contemporary Spanish film with reference to both local references and global currents. Spanish artistic production, like all culture, is increasingly tuned into international circuits, where filmmakers find material and inspiration for their creations from a wide range of settings. Therefore, we will think of Spain as a crossroads, a meeting ground of different historical influences, connected to a global network of migrations and communications. In our readings of these films, we will ask how personal and collective subjectivity is defined in relation to both local and global contexts.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 3
Term Second Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Old Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Jesse Barker

Qualification Prerequisites

None.

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • One of SP2026 Spanish Language 4 (Passed) or SP2526 Spanish Language 4 (Passed) or MA European Studies (Studied)
  • Either Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied) or MA European Studies (Studied)
  • Either Hispanic Studies (SP) (Studied) or MA European Studies (Studied)
  • Programme Level 3

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

In this course we will study contemporary film with reference to Spain. However, they are not all entirely Spanish. Some take place in Spain but were filmed by foreign directors. Others take place outside of Spain. Almost all of the films have strong international elements or borrow from foreign genres. Spanish artistic production, like all culture, is increasingly tuned into international circuits, where filmmakers find material and inspiration for their creations from a wide range of settings.

Therefore, we will not consider Spain as a set of fixed and essential characteristics that determine the cultural manifestations occurring within its borders. We should think of Spain more as a crossroads, a meeting ground of different historical influences, connected to a global network of migrations and communications. While in a course on Franco-era Spain everything seems to be tied to a central set of concerns and struggles, contemporary cultural production is much more varied in themes and aesthetics. It is impossible to find a single current that runs through its different forms.

We will, however, think through a question that seems to run through many of these films: how do we define a self? In a context characterised by fluctuation, how are individuals and groups conceived in relation to their various determinants? (geography, personal and social relations, community, history, ethical and political concerns) In an age of global communications and virtual technologies, what role do fantasy and the imagination play in this process?


Further Information & Notes

The course may NOT be included as part of a graduating curriculum with SP45JH Iberian Crossroads: Contemporary Spanish Film  B.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt

1 x 1200-word essay (30%); 1 x 2200-word essay (50%); 1 Seminar assessment mark (20%).

Resit

1 x 2200-word essay (100%).

Formative Assessment

Written feedback on homework, which students do on MyAberdeen. Oral feedback on contributions in the seminar.

Feedback

Written comments on essays. Written feedback on homework. Oral feedback on contributions in the seminar.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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