[ecrea] Seminar on Portuguese Cinema

FANTASY VS. REALITY IN CONTEMPORARY PORTUGUESE CINEMA

1-2 March 2013

Queen Mary University of London



Call for Papers


Traditionally an example of what Mette Hjort and Duncan Petrie have
dubbed the 'cinema of small nations', Portuguese cinema has generally
been characterised by low production numbers. In recent years,
Portuguese filmmakers have seen their work celebrated at a series of
prestigious international events, from João Salaviza's Golden Palm in
Cannes to Miguel Gomes' presence at the Berlin Film Festival with the
critically acclaimed Tabu.

This seminar wishes to explore the new international interest in the
cinema made in Portugal by being particularly focused on the dichotomy
between fantasy and reality. On the one hand, Portuguese cinema often
questions whether the events and spaces portrayed on screen really
happened or exist, being characterised by a sense of reverie, as in
Gomes' A Cara que mereces/The Face You Deserve (2004). On the other,
documentary has been expanding dramatically, in terms of production
(48, by Susana de Sousa Dias, was awarded de Cinéma du Réel Grand Prix
in 2010) and exhibition (when we consider for instance the success and
fast growth of the international film festival DocLisboa), and there
is a sense in which the real country must be featured on screen.

This seminar wishes to question the pervasiveness of fantasy and
reality as foundational themes in Portugal's contemporary cinematic
identity. We are interested in both short and feature films, including
fiction, documentary and animation. We particularly welcome papers on
popular cinema. Topics may include but are not limited to:
-       dreams and visions in Portuguese film
-       re-imagining the past
-       Portuguese national identity and the notion of illusion
-       fantastic characters and events
-       the 'real' Portugal
-       the limits of cinematic representation

Please submit an abstract (max. 250 words), contact information and
short bio (max. 100 words) to Mariana Liz:(m.liz /at/ qmul.ac.uk).
Submission Deadline: 3 January 2013.

The seminar will begin with a screening of Ruínas/Ruins (2009),
followed by a Q&A with director Manuel Mozos.


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