Almodóvar’s Films and Modern Spain

In this course we will analyze selected films by internationally acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar (e.g., Entre tinieblas, La ley del deseo, Todo sobre mi madre, Volver). Through film analysis and allegorical interpretation, we will explore contemporary cultural issues in Spain between Francoism’s end (1975) and the present. Topics include filmic constructions of popular culture (music, melodrama, ethnicities), authorship (directors, writers, the creative process, the film industry), gender performativity (women, queer identities), traditions (religion, bullfighting), and (post)national/global identities (autonomías, European Union, transatlantic links). Readings include history and film criticism. Not open to students who have taken SPAN 1300. (SPAN 0220 or placement) 3 hrs. lect/disc.