2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

FILM2515 Issues in Hispanic Cinema

20 creditsClass Size: 10

Module manager: Peter Watson
Email: P.J.Watson@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is mutually exclusive with

SPPO2100	Issues in Hispanic Cinema
SPPO2101	Issues in Hispanic Cinemas

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module allows students to develop their skills for the study of audiovisual media and the study of seminal film texts in a regional context by focusing on a selection of key issues pertinent to the study of Hispanic cinemas. These issues will typically include genre; star theory; popular tropes; audience engagement; cinematic and social responsibility; film history and politics; and the film industries of the regions in question, including Spain and Latin America. The module incorporates films produced over the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. . The work of practitioners such as Luis Buñuel, Penélope Cruz, Iciar Bollaín, Ciro Guerra, and Cristina Gallego are analysed in relation to broader socio-cinematic questions (e.g. the ethics and aesthetics of depicting domestic violence on-screen, the relationship between melodrama, urbanization and poverty). Knowledge of Spanish language is not required. On completion of this module students will have critically analysed the key issues covered, presenting their own arguments in a well-structured and evidence-based form that adheres to standard academic conventions. They should be able to demonstrate how they respond to feedback on their work by re-drafting their essay introduction and writing a commentary on how their initial submission could be improved. They should also be able to demonstrate awareness of the professional context of film criticism and produce an example of this tailored to meet a precise brief.

Objectives

This module aims to:
- introduce students to key approaches, themes and developments in the study of Hispanic Cinemas
- allow students to apply their knowledge in academic and real-world contexts
- engage students with scholarship and to develop a good general understanding of key principles in academic research
- encourage students to reflect on a number of important ideas in Hispanic Cinemas such as genre; star theory; popular tropes; audience engagement; cinematic and social responsibility; film history and politics; and the film industries of the regions in question
- develop students' skills to engage with and analyse scholarship and analyse and discuss a wide range of materials, such as feature-length films, shorts and trailers, film festival programmes, manifestos, interviews, and reviews
- develop the ability to craft own arguments and use evidence to support them.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
1) demonstrate their grasp of issues typically including genre; star theory; popular tropes; audience engagement; cinematic and social responsibility; film history and politics; and the film industries of the regions in question
2) demonstrate an understanding of key approaches to, and concepts in, Hispanic Cinemas, and be able to use these in critical analysis
3) identify, analyse and evaluate arguments in scholarly sources and develop their own position in response
4) analyse a range of primary material such as feature-length films, shorts and trailers, film festival programmes, manifestos, interviews, and reviews, and use them critically as evidence to support own arguments
5) practise film criticism in both an academic and a broader non-academic context across different formats that may include an essay and a film review in English

Skills outcomes
Students are expected to consolidate the traditional cognitive and practical skills acquired elsewhere in their programmes of study and, in addition, to:

1. discuss and criticise issues and problems.
2. summarize cogently the thesis/argument in an article or book.

3. demonstrate the ability to engage with and interpret layers of meaning within cultural products (films).
Students are also expected to demonstrate:
1. the ability to respond effectively to criticism/feedback.
2. the ability to articulate their own values and apply these.
3. the ability to write in a real-life, professional context.

Syllabus

The module will be taught through a set of learning units which centre around key concepts and themes in Hispanic CInemas. These will vary from year to year. These might include:
- Early Cinema
- Golden Age Cinema
- Third Cinema
- Arthouse Cinema
- Realism and Social Realism
- Cinema and Social Responsibility
- Star Studies

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Workshop	3	1.00	3.00
Film Screenings	6	2.00	12.00
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	6	1.00	6.00
Private study hours			168.00
Total Contact hours			32.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Reading course materials/preparation for seminars – 70 hrs
Film viewings beyond those organised as part of classes – 18 hrs
Preparation for piece of film criticism– 20 hours
Preparation for essay – 40 hours
Preparation of self-reflective commentary/re-drafted introduction– 20 hours

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Students will be invited to discuss their assessments with the module co-ordinator and tutor(s). Students will also be set unassessed tasks in advance of each seminar/workshop, which will allow for a more informal monitoring of their process and feedback.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	2500 Words	50.00
Reflective log	1,000 word commentary on marked essay + re-drafted introduction	25.00
Report	1,000 word film review	25.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Students may choose to complete their film reviews in the medium of Spanish or English.

Reading list

There is no reading list for this module

Last updated: 29/04/2024 16:18:28

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