Spotlight on diverse media (film, radio photography, music, etc.) and selected texts as a way into the history and culture of Brazil. May include early experiments with photography, political uses of radio to reach the masses, the birth of the nation’s film industry and the rise of popular music as they invite readings together with literature. The course allows students to watch, listen and read these materials as a way of exploring emerging social movements, counter-cultural currents and historical paradigm shifts. Students will learn about the major Brazilian cultural and literary movements while becoming familiar with ways of reading cultural materials across different media.

Taught in English, this course offers an introduction to Brazilian culture of the latter part of the 20th Century into the present via a number of texts and revealing films that afford an introduction through powerful cinematic images and texts. Although at least some knowledge of Portuguese is definitely useful, the films have English subtitles and most of the books written in Portuguese are available in English or Spanish translation, making it a good choice for students interested in Latin America as a whole. The themes at which we will look include varied forms of violence, the growing push to empower once- excluded social groups including Blacks, women, and LBGTX people, as well as a growing awareness of the voices of indigenous groups. While the texts and films are different in various ways, a number complement and bring out important aspects of each other. We will also have various visitors from different walks of life—a number of these Brazilian—who will talk about their own research or artistic and social practices within Brazil. Movies include several Oscar-nominated movies, two or three films by the great documentary artist Eduardo Coutinho, and modern classics including a trilogy by Kleber Mendonça Filho, whose latest movie won a special prize at Cannes in 2019.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills