Brazilian Cinema: An Intro

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

The course is an entry point to the Cultural Humanities and Arts (HALC) at Georgetown. It introduces the students to the history of Brazilian cinema from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. It focuses mostly on film production of the 1950s, but it also examines the cinematographic production of the early 20th century. The course centers on classic narrative films, but it will also discuss other genres, such as documentaries and short films. Among the themes to be addressed in the course are: the national filmic production of Brazil, the debate about modernity versus tradition, the idea of a national or an alternative cinema (“Third World cinema” and the “Cinema Novo” movement) to Hollywood, cinema as a form of entertainment vs cinema as a political statement (to denounce colonialism, racism, dictatorships, gender, identity, migration, etc.) cinema or its relationship with the State, etc. In addition, this course also includes the dialogue of Brazilian cinema with Brazilian literature, popular culture (cordel literature, MPB/Brazilian popular music), among other themes. Several feature-length films are studied in their entirety, with several additional films introduced and considered through clips. Films are available in Portuguese with English and Spanish subtitles, and they are expected to be watched before classes, on Canvas/YouTube, or other platforms. This class is conducted in Portuguese, and students are expected to have at least an intermediate or advanced level of communication in Portuguese. Students will have the option to write the long papers in Portuguese, English, or Spanish.