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What you will study

This course is divided into 5 units which explore the cinematic landscapes of the Hispanic world, focusing on Spain, Argentina, and Chile.

Unit 1: Silent cinema and Luis Buñuel

In Unit 1, you will be introduced to early cinema, starting with the first films produced by the Lumière brothers in France. You will then progress to study several shorts from the Spanish genius of early cinema, Segundo de Chomón, which collectively take everyday circumstances and transform them into exceptional events through various film techniques. You will also delve into Luis Buñuel’s Un chien andalou (1929), a masterpiece of Surrealist cinema that still hasn&/courses/short-courses/lg006/39;t lost the power to surprise the audience. This film disrupts all sorts of assumptions about the so-called &/courses/short-courses/lg006/39;grammar&/courses/short-courses/lg006/39; of film language and storytelling.

Unit 2: Introduction to Argentinian cinema

You will be introduced to Argentinean cinema, beginning with the early pioneers before moving on to the new wave of Argentinean cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. You will consider the concept of &/courses/short-courses/lg006/39;Third World Cinema&/courses/short-courses/lg006/39; and explore La hora de los hornos (The Hour of the Furnaces), the seminal 1968 film manifesto by Fernando Solanas and Octavio Getino. You will reflect on the importance of the Solanas and Getino manifesto for the contemporary cinematic landscape and the history of Latin American cinema.

Unit 3: Pedro Almodóvar and La Movida

In your third unit, you will discover an extraordinary period in the history of Spanish cinema where we witnessed a transition from the type of films endorsed by the Francoist regime to the open expression of creativity after the death of Franco. Additionally, you will explore La Movida madrileña, the countercultural movement that originated in the early 1980s in the capital of Spain. This movement disrupted the Francoist legacy and influenced all art forms, including cinema. One of the most iconic figures of this period is the filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. You’ll delve into his way of working and explore one of his most famous films: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios, 1988).

Unit 4: Woman filmmakers – the new Spanish cinema

In unit 4, you will learn about the role that film festivals play in discovering and promoting new talent and how film festivals, along with national-level mentoring programs, have launched the careers of many contemporary Spanish female filmmakers. You will probe deeper into the work of Jaione Camborda by watching Arima (2019). The film explores female identity in the face of a disruptive encounter with patriarchy, presenting an oneiric &/courses/short-courses/lg006/39;thriller&/courses/short-courses/lg006/39; that delves into the mystery of the female gaze.

Unit 5:  Chilean cinema

The history of Chilean cinema has been tumultuous and shaped by political upheavals. However, it is currently undergoing a resurgence. In your final unit, you will gain a brief overview of the history of Chilean cinema while learning about the lasting cinematic impacts of a crucial period in Chilean history: the military coup of 1973. Finally, you will be introduced to a contemporary film by Patricio Guzmán, Nostalgia for the Light (2010), that explores the enduring trauma of Pinochet’s dictatorship.

Please note that although this course is non-accredited, it can be used towards the module Making your learning count (YXM130) to gain OU credits.

You will learn

By the end of this course, you will:

• understand the main themes in Hispanic cinema and the extent to which these relate to topics in contemporary Hispanic society and culture
• be familiar with key films and film-makers in Hispanic cinema
• develop the ability to relate knowledge and understanding to perform basic film reviews
• be able to display skills for the gathering, evaluation and interpretation of information about films and film-makers
• be able to show that you can work independently towards your aims and objectives
• show proficient use of information and communication tools, such as online forums.

Regulations