Desire in Iberian Cinema

Catalog description

How does desire shape national cinemas? What is the relationship between an individual’s desire and what they see on screen? What are the dynamics of desire in the cinematic screen? Through films ranging from the late nineteenth century to contemporary productions, this course examines, in Spanish and Portuguese cinema, how desire is constructed, repressed, performed, or liberated, and how Iberian filmmakers engage with themes such as colonialism and imperialism, dictatorship and democracy, memory, censorship, queerness, bodily autonomy, and transgression, and national imaginaries. Combining film theory with cultural and gender studies, the course invites students to consider how desire becomes a site of resistance, vulnerability, and creativity within the evolving landscapes of Iberian cinema. Students will gain tools for film analysis while considering broader cultural and aesthetic questions that shape Iberian cinema.