History of Portuguese Cinema
Cod: 51017
Department: DH
ECTS: 6
Scientific area: Culture
Total working hours: 156
Total contact time: 15

The current course unit introduces a global perspective of the Portuguese cinema history, allowing students to identify the most relevant features that marked its first steps (from the primitive to silent movies), through the B&W "golden age" of the Portuguese comedy, and the turning point brought by the 'new cinema', till reaching the author cinema that characterizes contemporary and current cinema.
Besides the thorough treatment of the Portuguese chronological filmography, this course unit aims at highlighting the major milestones in the Portuguese cinema history, through viewing and analysing some canonical works/films and filmmakers.





Silent movies
Black and white
New cinema
Contemporary and current cinema


Students are expected to be able to:
• identify the main moments of Portuguese cinema from its beginnings to the present, recognizing the most important aesthetic and ideological orientations involved in them;
• recognize the specific guidelines underlying the filmography of each outstanding period, by viewing a selection including significant directors and films;
• develop the ability to search and critically discuss in order to prepare academic works showing their opinion.

This course unit contents focus on an overview of the films that made the Portuguese cinema history, a period going from its origin to the present, paying special attention to today's filmography.
Thus, the contents will focus four great moments, namely:
- Primitive and silent films
- the black and white
- Transition and new cinema
- Contemporary cinema
These moments are mandatory reference landmarks for understanding the evolution and consolidation of the Portuguese film industry.
By viewing the recommended movies selection students are expected to be able to systematize the main aesthetic and ideological trends that marked such moments



- BAPTISTA, Tiago, A invenção do cinema português, Lisboa, Tinta da China, 2008
- GRILO, João Mário, O Cinema da não ilusão, histórias para o cinema português, (prefácio de Manoel de Oliveira), Lisboa, Livros Horizonte, 2006;

- COSTA, Alves, Breve História do Cinema Português.1896-1962, Lisboa, Biblioteca Breve-ICALP, 1978. Online at http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/conhecer/biblioteca-digital-camoes/doc_details.html?aut=18

- COELHO, Eduardo Prado, Vinte anos do Cinema Português (1962-1982), Lisboa, Biblioteca Breve-ICALP, 1983. Online at http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/conhecer/biblioteca-digital-camoes/doc_details.html?aut=19

Databases on portuguese cinema online at
http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/conhecer/bases-tematicas/cinema-portugues.html#page
http://www.cinemaportugues.ubi.pt/bd/
Further readings will be recommended online.
Compulsory filmgraphy:
• Cottineli Telmo, A canção de Lisboa (1933)
• Fernando Lopes, Uma abelha na chuva (1971)
• Manoel de Oliveira, Singularidades de uma rapariga loira (2009)
• Miguel Gomes, Aquele querido mês de Agosto (2008)

E-learning.

Continuous assessment is privileged: 2 digital written documents (e-folios) during the semester (40%) and a final digital test, Global e-folio (e-folio G) at the end of the semester (60%). In due time, students can alternatively choose to perform one final exam (100%).