| Unit name | Visual Politics: Latin American and Iberian Cinema and Art |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HISP20128 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Teichert |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
In this unit, you will be introduced to the parallel but related histories and developments in Latin American and Iberian cinema and visual culture, ranging from the politically engaged filmmaking and installation art of the 1960s to experimental cinema and contemporary art of the 21st century. The unit covers films and visual culture from across both these regions, from Mexico and Colombia to Brazil and Argentina, Spain and Portugal. You will explore the ways in which these films and art works both reflect and shape Ibero-American politics and society. How has cultural production responded to experiences of dictatorship? How has it dealt with economic crisis? When has it shaped ideology, and when has it succumbed to it? How has it challenged notions of gender and identity? You will learn the skills of film criticism and visual analysis, in addition to knowledge of relevant historical, social and theoretical contexts.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit builds on the foundational knowledge gained in Year 1. It will also help you develop essential skills in film and visual analysis, which will help inform your learning in the more specialised units in Year 4. It will also help you gain an understanding of important political and cultural issues that continue to unfold across these regions.
An overview of content
This unit provides an overview of some of the main developments in both film and visual culture across Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. It covers a range of materials ranging from, for example, the iconic installation Tucumán Arde in Argentina and the third cinema movement in Brazil to queer cinema by filmmakers such as Pedro Almodóvar and João Pedro Rodrigues; from women filmmakers such as Carla Simón, Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, Anna Muylaert or Lucrecia Martel, to the contemporary artworks by renowned visual artists like Doris Salcedo. . Throughout, the unit will explore how film and visual culture both informs and is informed by its cultural and political contexts.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
You will develop essential film and visual analysis skills, and will be able to draw parallels between different national and cultural contexts. You will develop strong collaborative working skills through formative and summative assessments, and will explore how to adapt your oral and written expression to suit different formats and outlets.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through weekly lectures and seminars. During the seminars, students will engage in group discussion of secondary readings and close analyses of film sequences and art works. These different learning activities are designed to help guide your reflections on the material and your engagement with critical theories of Ibero-American cultures and societies.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Weekly seminars. The seminar discussions will help you develop skills in visual/film analysis in advance of the first and second summative assessment tasks.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Group Film/Art Review Podcast, 15 minutes (30%) [ILOs 1-5]
Written Exam, 2 hours (70%) [ILOs 1-4]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. HISP20128).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
