Portuguese Modules

Level 4 Modules

POR4203 From Dictatorship to Revolution in Portugal's Cinema

This module provides an introduction to Portugal's political-cultural history in the 20th Century whilst ranging over shifting roles of the country's cinema. It initially focuses on the fascist regime and its use of comedy as political propaganda, together with the fado, football and Catholicism. In contrast, film was also a tool against the totalitarian regime during which Portugal's Novo Cinema (New Cinema) emerged. Landmark films also address the collective trauma of the colonial wars in Africa during Salazarism, the popular Revolução do Cravos (Revolution of the Carnations) of 1974 which overthrew fascism, and the independence of the African colonies in 1975. The post-fascism role of film as elaboration and reassessment of history will be analysed. The module ends with Portugal's farewell to nearly 500 years in Africa. All films are available in subtitled versions. Previous knowledge of Portuguese language and culture are not required.

POR4200 Introductory Portuguese

This module is designed for students with little or no previous knowledge of the Portuguese language. Successful students will complete Level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFRL). The module provides basic competence in all four main language skills (reading, listening, speaking and writing). Teaching materials are selected with a view to providing a panoramic view of the history and culture of the Portuguese-speaking countries in four continents. Students are expected to actively participate in and contribute to the learning process in the classroom. They must attend five hours of teaching per week and expect to spend a further five hours per week on private study. 

POR4201 Portuguese I

This module is offered only to students who have A-Level or equivalent in Portuguese or who are heritage speakers of Portuguese. Basic grammatical structures are revised and reinforced. Practice in comprehension and composition is given using a wide variety of source material in contemporary Brazilian and European Portuguese, designed to develop appropriateness and accuracy in the spoken and written language. The language of instruction is predominantly Portuguese. Successful students will reach Level B1(+) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). The entire module counts towards the QMUL Model.

POR4032 Brazilian Cinematic Cities: Regional and Historical Diversity

This module explores four Brazilian cinematic cities, namely those which have a significant film industry and whose identities have been projected by film (Mark Shiel and Tony Fitzmaurice). The major focus will be on Rio de Janeiro (the wonders of its topography; the eroticization and exoticization of its beach culture; the spectacle of its Carnival contrasting with over-sensationalized violence on the screen) and São Paulo, an emerging global power (physical and social mobility in a city with 20 million inhabitants; the impact of technology and the car industry on social networks). It will also study Salvador (its vibrant Afro-Brazilian culture; the carnivalesque return of the defunto) and Brasília (Brazil’s modernist capital and the aftermath of this utopian project 50 years later). No previous knowledge of Portuguese is required. All films are available in English or with English subtitles. 

Level 5 Modules

POR5034 Brazilian Cinema: The Social Tradition

Why would a Brazilian director depict not the guerrilla Che Guevara but the young doctor developing his social awareness? Walter Salles’s Motorcycle Diaries will set the tone for the discussion of Brazil’s emphasis on the social agenda as its major contribution to world cinema. This course will approach the evolution of this genre, beginning with Cinema Novo, the shift towards the commercial film (Pixote, Central Station), the development of a new aesthetics (City of God) and of recent radical experimentations such as prisoners and favela (shantytown) inhabitants making their own film. Discussions will include the tensions between aesthetics and ethics, the achievement of the commercial film and of the documentary as social action, and film as a tool for the empowerment of the marginalized.

POR5200 Portuguese II Intensive

This module is the second year language module for students who have started Portuguese from ab initio level and have successfully completed Introductory Portuguese, or have a knowledge of the language equivalent to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) Level A2. Emphasis is on increasing fluency in listening, reading, writing and oral communication and including materials with up-to-date information about the Portuguese-speaking countries.

POR5201 Portuguese II

This module is offered to students pursuing a degree in Hispanic Studies and Portuguese, who have A Level in Portuguese/equivalent, and/or who are heritage speakers of Portuguese and have taken POR4201. Successful students will reach Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). The module develops Portuguese grammar, comprehension, oral, aural and analytical skills, with an emphasis on the appropriate use of register in both spoken and written Portuguese and preparation for the Year Abroad.

Level 6 Modules: 

POR6200 Portuguese III

This module is for students who have completed Portuguese II Intensive. The focus will be on fluency, expansion of vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, advanced oral and reading comprehension, and development of writing skills

POR6036 Slavery, Colonialism and Postcolonialism in African Cinema

Looking at cinema as an increasingly prominent medium for the transmission of historical knowledge (Deleuze, Sorlin, Landy, etc.), this module analyzes the representation of history in African Cinema in three key moments of the continent’s history. It initially focuses on Mozambique’s major postindependence audio-visual initiative, headed by Jean-Luc Godard, Jean Rouch and Ruy Guerra – the National Institute of Cinema – and the role of film in nation-building. It then addresses film representations of historical trauma and the reconstruction of shattered lives in the context of Civil Wars in Mozambique and Angola, contrasting them with Sebastião Salgado’s photographic documentation of the impact of war on African children and civilians. It also analyzes Guinea-Bissau’s post-independence engagement in dialogue with the West through the musical, for the projection of an African identity and the tensions between tradition and modernization. It finally addresses the dearth of images of slavery in African Cinema and the way resistance to power imbalances and the communities of run-away slaves finds space on the Brazilian screen and, more recently, in tricontinental co-productions. No previous knowledge of Portuguese is required. All films have subtitles in English.