Cinema and Memory: A Journey Through Contemporary Europe on Film (taught in Spanish)
This course offers a unique immersion into twentieth‑century and contemporary European history and culture through the privileged lens of cinema. More than an academic overview, it is conceived as a journey through the images, narratives, and emotions that have shaped Europe’s identity in its many dimensions. Drawing on a carefully curated selection of films from different countries and periods, we will examine how the seventh art has portrayed the major political, social, economic, and cultural transformations that have marked the continent—from wars and reconstruction to social movements, everyday life, and contemporary dilemmas. The course methodology combines film analysis with insights from history, sociology, and cultural studies, enabling students to understand how cinema not only reflects reality but also actively contributes to the construction of collective memory and identity. Furthermore, it fosters an ongoing dialogue between cinematic representations and the participants’ personal experiences, encouraging critical reflection and intercultural exchange in an international context. Ultimately, this course invites us to think about Europe through the screen: plural, contradictory, and constantly transforming.
Important Notice on Course Suitability and Activities:
Some Summer School courses are designed for students with prior academic background in a specific discipline and may be unsuitable for participants without that preparation.
In addition, certain courses include discipline-standard practical activities (for example, laboratory work with biological specimens, dissections, use of clinical or forensic material, field sampling, or other hands-on procedures) that may be unfamiliar or unsettling for some participants.
Students are responsible for reading the course descriptor carefully and ensuring (i) that they meet any stated academic expectations or prerequisites, and (ii) that they are comfortable participating in the methods and activities described.
If you are unsure about suitability, please contact the course lecturer(s) before enrolling.
The course is organized into three thematic units, each exploring a key moment in the cultural and political evolution of Europe through the lens of cinema. Through these modules, students will engage with lectures, screenings, and seminar discussions that combine historical insight with close film analysis, encouraging both critical and creative approaches to the study of audiovisual memory.
| Week | Contents | Teaching/learning activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
War, Trauma, and Reconstruction The first module focuses on postwar Europe and the cinematic representations of collective trauma, moral reconstruction, and divided memory. Through films such as Roma città aperta (Rossellini, 1945), Night and Fog (Resnais, 1956), The Lives of Others (Donnersmarck, 2006), and Son of Saul (Nemes, 2015), students will examine how European filmmakers have confronted the aftermath of World War II, the Holocaust, and the ideological fractures of the Cold War. Key themes include neorealism, surveillance and control, archival memory, and the ethics of representation. The week will combine lectures with film screenings, detailed textual analysis, and seminar discussions on cinematic testimony and the construction of “memory regimes.” Focus: Postwar Europe, collective memory, and cinematic testimony Day 1 – Introduction: Cinema and European Memory Course overview, objectives, and assessment. Lecture: “Film as an Agent of Collective Memory.” Screening excerpts: Night and Fog (Resnais, 1956). Day 2 – Neorealism and the Ethics of Representation Lecture: Historical and aesthetic foundations of Neorealism. Screening and discussion: Roma città aperta (Rossellini, 1945). Seminar: Visualizing moral reconstruction. Day 3 – The Holocaust and Cinematic Testimony Screening: Son of Saul (Nemes, 2015). Guided analysis: point of view, immersion, and ethics. Debate: Representation vs. exploitation of trauma. Day 4 – Cold War Divisions and the Surveillance Gaze Lecture: “The divided continent: East and West in postwar cinema.” Screening: The Lives of Others (Donnersmarck, 2006). Seminar: Memory regimes and control societies. Day 5 – Comparative Reflections Workshop: Comparing postwar memory narratives. Group activity: Mapping Europe’s cinematic geographies of trauma. Reflective writing: What do we remember when we watch? |
Lectures Film projections, analyses and debates |
| 2 |
Revolution, Disillusion, and the ‘Other Europe’ The second module explores cinema’s response to moments of political upheaval and social transformation across the continent. Starting from the legacy of 1968, it addresses the trajectories of both Southern and Eastern Europe — from dictatorship and transition to democracy, from dissent to disillusionment. Through films such as La classe operaia va in paradiso (Petri, 1971), Underground (Kusturica, 1995), and Goodbye Lenin! (Becker, 2003), students will analyze the intersections between political cinema, allegory, satire, and the representation of traumatic transitions. Comparative workshops and student-led discussions will encourage reflection on “revolution” as a recurring cinematic and cultural motif. Focus: Political cinema, allegory, and transitions Day 6 – 1968 and Political Cinema in Europe Lecture: “Revolution on Screen: Myth and Reality.” Screening: La classe operaia va in paradiso (Petri, 1971). Debate: Work, ideology, and cinematic dissent. Day 7 – Allegory and Censorship in Southern Europe Lecture: Cinema under dictatorship and transition. Screening: Salvatore Giuliano (Francesco Rosi, 1962). Close analysis: Italian political cinema, historical reconstruction, and critique of power.. Day 8 – Eastern Europe and the Cinema of Dissent Screening: Underground (Kusturica, 1995). Discussion: Surrealism, satire, and the collapse of ideologies. Comparative exercise: East–West perspectives. Day 9 – Memory, Irony, and Post-Communism Screening: Goodbye Lenin! (Becker, 2003). Workshop: Nostalgia, memory, and the invention of tradition. Short reflection: “What remains of revolution?” Day 10 – Student-Led Seminar: The Politics of Representation Group presentations on revolutionary narratives. Open debate moderated by instructor. Feedback and synthesis of Week 2. |
Lectures Film projections, analyses and debates
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| 3 |
Europe in Fragmentation: Migration, Crisis, and the Digital Gaze The final module examines contemporary Europe through the themes of migration, crisis, and digital subjectivity. Addressing topics such as EU enlargement, border politics, and postcolonial identities, the course turns to recent forms of documentary and first-person cinema. Films including Welcome (Lioret, 2009), Fire at Sea (Rosi, 2016), A Man of Integrity (Rasoulof, 2017, EU co-production), and The Self-Portrait (Akerman, 1978, with contemporary echoes) will serve as case studies for discussions on biopolitics, autoethnography, transnational co-productions, and the ethics of witnessing. This unit will feature a guest lecture or filmmaker talk, group project presentations, and a final reflective roundtable entitled “What does Europe remember—and forget?” Films and readings may be adapted annually according to availability, current relevance, and the students’ academic backgrounds. Focus: Borders, mobility, and contemporary documentary Day 11 – Europe’s New Borders Lecture: “Migration and the Cinematic Imagination.” Screening: Welcome (Lioret, 2009). Discussion: Human rights, belonging, and exclusion. Day 12 – Documentary Ethics and the Witness’s Eye Screening: Fire at Sea (Rosi, 2016). Analysis: The aesthetics of observation. Seminar: Biopolitics and the limits of empathy. Day 13 – Self and Other in First-Person Cinema Screening excerpts: The Self-Portrait (Akerman, 1978) and related works. Lecture: Autoethnography and the female gaze. Reflective writing: Cinema as self-narration. Day 14 – Transnational Co-productions and Global Voices Screening: A Man of Integrity (Rasoulof, 2017 – EU co-production). Guest lecture / filmmaker talk (virtual or in-person). Group project preparation and mentoring. Day 15 – Final Roundtable: “What Does Europe Remember—and Forget?” Presentation of group projects. Collective discussion and feedback. Course synthesis and closing reflections. The film titles listed in this syllabus are indicative and serve as examples to illustrate the thematic focus of each session. Depending on availability, relevance, or the specific direction of discussion, films may be substituted or updated to better suit the objectives of the day.
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Lectures Film projections, analyses and debates |
From Monday to Friday.
From 9:00 a.m to 12:45 p.m
Student performance will be evaluated through a balanced combination of formative and summative assessments. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on active engagement, critical thinking, and the application of interdisciplinary skills.
Participation and engagement account for 20% of the final grade. This includes active involvement in seminars, debates, and group discussions, as well as meaningful contributions to peer learning and collective reflection.
Reflective writing also represents 20% of the grade. Students are expected to produce short written responses throughout the course, connecting the films studied to thematic, historical, and personal reflections, thereby demonstrating their ability to synthesize and interpret course material.
The group project accounts for 30% of the grade and involves collaborative research culminating in an oral presentation supported by visual and analytical materials. This assignment is designed to showcase critical understanding, creativity, and the capacity to work collaboratively in analyzing complex cinematic texts.
Finally, the remaining 30% of the grade is based on a final individual assignment, which may take the form of a reflective essay or analytical paper. This task requires students to integrate theoretical frameworks, historical context, and close film analysis, demonstrating comprehensive mastery of the course objectives.
Note: Grades may be adjusted to reflect exceptional circumstances or additional contributions, such as active participation in guest lectures, workshops, or independent research activities.
Academic integrity notice: any form of plagiarism in work submitted for this course will be treated as a serious academic offence and may result in an automatic fail grade.
I. War, Trauma, and Reconstruction (Postwar Europe, Neorealism, Holocaust, Cold War)
Elsaesser, T. (2016). European Cinema: Face to Face with the Past. Amsterdam University Press.
Falicov, T. L., & Naremore, J. (Eds.). (2018). Cinema and Memory after the Second World War. Routledge.
Nemes, L. (2015). Son of Saul – análisis de la representación del Holocausto en cine contemporáneo. En Journal of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, 29(2), 223–242.
Rentschler, E. (2019). The Films of Roberto Rossellini: Italian Neorealism and Historical Memory. Bloomsbury.
Davies, N. (2020). “Cold War Cinemas and Surveillance Aesthetics.” Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 40(4), 543–560.
II. Revolution, Disillusion, and the ‘Other Europe’ (1968, dictatorships, transition, post-communism)
Liehm, M., & Liehm, A. (2016). The Most Important Art: Eastern European Film after 1968. University of California Press.
Dalle Vacche, A. (2021). Italian Political Cinema of the 1960s–70s: Dissent and Allegory. Palgrave.
Beumers, B. (2018). Post-Communist Cinema and Memory. Routledge.
Kusturica, E. (1995). Underground – análisis crítico en: Jelavich, P. (2017). East European Cinemas: Historical Perspectives. Edinburgh University Press.
Becker, F. (2003). Goodbye Lenin! – contexto del cine alemán post-reunificación y memoria cultural. En New German Critique, 48, 89–110.
III. Europe in Fragmentation (Migration, Crisis, Digital Gaze, First-Person Cinema)
Rosi, G. (2016). Fuocoammare / Fire at Sea – estudios sobre documental y ética de la observación. En Studies in Documentary Film, 10(3), 205–224.
Lioret, O. (2009). Welcome – análisis transnacional sobre migración y ciudadanía en cine europeo.
Rasoulof, A. (2017). A Man of Integrity – discusión de co-producciones europeas y ética política.
Akerman, C. (1978; revisiones 2018–2022). The Self-Portrait y el autoetnografía fílmica: enfoques recientes. En Feminist Media Studies, 22(6), 885–902.
Chouliaraki, L., & Stolic, T. (2020). Migration and Media: Representing the European ‘Other’. Palgrave Macmillan.
Elsaesser, T. (2022). Digital Cinema and European Identity: Memory, Mobility, and Mediation. Amsterdam University Press.
IV. Interdisciplinary and Comparative Methods
Assmann, A., & Shortt, L. (2016). Memory and the Moving Image. Routledge.
Higson, A., & Maltby, R. (2019). European Cinema: Critical Approaches. Oxford University Press.
Kaplan, E. A., & DeLuca, J. (2021). Trauma, Testimony, and Film. Columbia University Press.
Elsaesser, T., & Barker, M. (2020). Film Theory: An Introduction through the European Lens. Routledge.
Cook, P., & Bernink, M. (2022). Cinema and European Integration: Cultural and Political Perspectives. Palgrave.
Rosa Gutiérrez Herranz (Santander, 1971) has been a faculty member in the Department of Art and Musicology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) since 2005, where she teaches courses on contemporary art history and film theory and history. Her research specializes in visual culture studies, within which she has organized, among other courses, lecture series, and events, the seminar Pensar la imagen: Humanidades y cultura visual (Thinking the Image: Humanities and Visual Culture), which proposed a multidisciplinary approach to the humanities. As a curator, she has organized several exhibitions, including La apuesta por el arte nuevo (Museum of the History of Girona, 2022–23), Diálogos: Eduard Bigas/Modest Cuixart (Modest Cuixart Foundation, 2023), Lluís Lleó: Pittore (Museum of Contemporary Art of Vigo, 2023), and Anudar el tiempo (Museum Patio Herreriano of Valladolid, 2024). Her most recent publications include El cine y su doble: Relato, documento, representación (ed., 2019), De Escipión a Berlusconi. Una historia de Italia en 50 películas (with Valerio Carrando and Ludovico Longhi, 2019), and El fons Rafael i Maria Teresa Santos Torroella (with Jaume Vidal, 2023).
- Department of Art and Musicology
- E-mail: MariaRosa.Gutierrez@uab.cat
Ludovico Longhi (Padua, Italy; 1967) is a Lecturer in the Department of Audiovisual Communication at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), where he has taught courses on screenwriting theory and practice, as well as film history and theory, from 2000 to the present. Since 2004, he has organized film screening series and practical courses on fiction cinema, with a particular focus on popular genres. In 2005, he contributed to the writing of the book En torno al nuevo cine italiano. In 2011, he earned his PhD in Audiovisual Communication from the Autonomous University of Barcelona with the dissertation Radici culturali della comicità di Alberto Sordi. Ipotesi d’approccio biografico, supervised by Professors Romà Gubern and Josep M. Català. His recent research has focused on film noir and its Italian legacy—the giallo and the poliziottesco genres. He has been a member of the research groups ECME (Study of the Reception and Assimilation of Cinematic Modernity in Spain) and PCE (Film Thought in Spain), both directed by José Enrique Monterde.
- Department of Audiovisual Communication and Advertising
- E-mail: Ludovico.Longhi@uab.cat