This course will concentrate on the roles and representations of women in Spanish film: women as icons, as subjects, and as creators. Participants will explore examples of the construction of the image of women since the 1940s up to the present: from Carlos Saura’s metaphorical figures to Almodóvar’s fascinating heroines, remarkable cinematic figures that condense the contradictions of a society in the throes of modernisation. The course will pay particular attention to the visibility and empowerment that women have achieved in acting, directing, production and screenwriting in post-Franco Spain. The works of Spanish women filmmakers (Pilar Miró, Isabel Coixet, Chus Gutiérrez, Icíar Bollaín, Helena Taberna and Paula Ortiz, among others) will help us to explore a wider range of female figures and themes, adding a layer of complexity to the representations of women on the cinematic Spanish screen.
Beginners’ level, no prior knowledge necessary
The course includes six sessions with the course tutor and two course screenings.
Led by Carmen Herrero, Head of Spanish at Manchester Metropolitan University and co-director of the Film in Language Teaching Association.