Basque Cinema: The Uncanny Gazes of Globalization
Basque 473/673
Class schedule: Wednesday: 4:00-6:45 PM, EJCH 240 M (Edmund
J. Cain Hall)
Office
hours: Getchell, 2nd floor, room # 281. Wednesday 2:00 to 4:00 PM.
Contact info: joseba@unr.edu,
Phone: 784-4854, ext. 347
Syllabus/class info: http://basque.unr.edu/gabilondo/cinema.html
Course
Goals: This course explores Basque cinema from its beginnings
to our days while also reviewing world cinema from a Basque point of view. The
course will familiarize students with the tools necessary for in-depth film
analysis. Among other topics, the course will explore relationships between
minority and mainstream cinema in Europe (Crying
Game, Trainspotting, French Twist...), the nationalist imaginary and its
influence in film, the centrality of gender (and motherly) representations in
Basque cinema, Basque films' recent tendency to become Spanish blockbusters
outselling Hollywood, Basque representations of other ethnic/racial minorities
from the Third World, the economics of funding and distribution, etc.
Course work: 1-A weekly one-to-two-page paper (250-500 words) in
the form of a diary-entry due Tuesdays at the beginning of class. 2- Two
midterm 10-15 page (2500-4000 words) papers
due on weeks 9 and 15. These two long papers can be based on the weekly 1-page
papers. For further information and instructions on the weekly and midterm
papers, check at the end of the syllabus.
Grading: 2 midterm
papers (50% grade), weekly papers (25%), class participation (25% grade).
Readings/Viewings: The student is supposed to view the film
before the class. All the readings are
placed on Electronic Course Reserves (Getchell Library:
http://www.library.unr.edu /reserves.html). All the films will be available on
reserve at the
Note: Some
of the films shown in class are of a very graphic nature and therefore students
not familiar with these type of images or susceptible to impression are advised
to consult with the professor before taking the class.
Office
hours: Wednesdays 2-4 PM or by appointment. Getchell, 2nd
floor, room # 281. If you cannot come to office hours but want to talk with the
professor, you can call and speak over the phone or email. Communication in any
form is encouraged; miscommunication is the source of many problems.
Weekly Schedule
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1 |
1-19 |
Introduction |
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Presentation of the course and the syllabus |
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2 |
1-26 |
Minorities / Mainstream, Local
/ Global
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Ballio, Tino. "A Major Presence in All of the
World's Important Markets" |
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Watson, Neil. "Hollywood |
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3 |
2-2 |
Origins |
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Larruquert and Basterretxea, Ama lur (1968, not
subtitled, will be shown in class) |
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Marti-Olivella, Jaume.
"Invisible Otherness” |
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4 |
2-9 |
Francoism
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Erice, Spirit
of Beehive (1973, subtitled)
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Smith, Paul Julian. “Between Metaphysics and Scientism” |
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Optional: Gabilondo, Joseba. “Primal
Scene: Invisible Fathers, Imaginary Mothers” |
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5 |
2-16 |
Transition
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Uribe, Escape from
Segovia (1981, subtitled) |
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Bordwell
and Thompson, "The Shot: Mise-en-Scene" |
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6 |
2-23 |
The Crisis of Nationalism |
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Uribe, Mikel’s Death
(1983, subtitled) |
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D'Lugo, Marvin. “Re-imaging the Community: Imanol
Uribe's La muerte de Mikel” |
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7 |
3-2 |
The Crisis of Sexuality
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Uribe, Running
out of Time (1994, subtitled)
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Bordwell
and Thompson, "The Shot: Cinematographic Properties" |
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Optional:
Gabilondo, “Masculinity’s Counted Days”
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8 |
3-9 |
The Melodramatic Alternative
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Bajo
Ulloa, Butterfly’s
Wings
(1991, subtitled) |
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Elssaesser, Thomas. "Tales of Sound and
Fury" |
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9 |
3-16 |
The Artistic Alternative
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Medem, Cows (1991, subtitled) |
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Sánchez, Antonio. “Women
Immune to a Nervous Breakdown” |
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Bordwell and Thompson, "The Relation of Shot to
Shot" |
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1st
midterm paper, due on Friday, 3-18, 5 PM, Center for Basque Studies office,
my mailbox, Getchell 281 (another copy by email) |
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10 |
3-23 |
The Feminist Alternative
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Balasko, French Twist (1994, subtitled) |
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Marti
Olivella, Jaume. “Bollaín, Balletbò and Balasko”
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Spring break holiday. 3-26/4-3 |
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11 |
4-6 |
The Arrival of Globalization |
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Calparsoro, Leap
in the Void (1993, not subtitled) |
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Rodriguez,
Maria Pilar. “Dark Memories, Tragic Lives” |
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12 |
4-13 |
The Denial of Globalization
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Armendariz, Secrets of the Heart (1997,
subtitled) |
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Kristeva,
Julia. “Approaching Abjection” |
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13 |
4-20 |
Basquizing Globalization |
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De la Iglesia, Day of
the Beast (1996, subtitled)
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Gabilondo, Joseba. “El día de la bestia”
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14 |
4-27 |
Back to Local History |
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Taberna, Yoyes (1999, not subtitled)
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Marti-Olivella, Jaume. “(En)Gendering ETA and/in Basque Cinema” |
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2ND
midterm paper, due on Wednesday, 5-11, 5 PM, Center for Basque Studies
office, my mailbox, Getchell 281 (another copy by email)
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Weekly papers:
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Develop a single idea. Be as bold, opinionated, or adventurous as you
want with your idea. You can always take one of those ideas and develop them
later on in a more formal and academic fashion in the midterm paper.
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Length: 250-500 words.
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Make specific references to every and each film and article in the
week. This is the best way to prove that you have watched/read them and you
know what to say.
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You don’t have to be formal in the quotational or referential system.
Midterm
Papers:
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Choose one film/topic/nation/director/actor/topic and compare it with
another one.
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A different topic. In this case the student must consult with the
professor.
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Cite one or two bibliographical references of the first two weeks of
the course. This will ensure that the paper is well situated within the
parameters of the class and you will correctly focus the topic of the paper.
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The paper must have a system of bibliographical references; it
does not matter which one as long as it is coherent and consistent throughout
the paper (footnotes, endnotes, bibliographical references in parenthesis…)
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The paper must have at least two new bibliographical/critical
references/sources; they have to be original (not used in class). The film
does not count as a bibliographical source. The sources must be academic
(journals, books…). Newspaper articles or information from the web can be used
as additional/complementary sources but do not count as original sources.
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You have to cite and use the sources in the paper, not only list
them as a bibliographical entry. Do not translate quotes from the sources,
leave them in their original language.
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The paper must contain a single original thesis that must be
explained in the introductory paragraph of the paper.
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Factors in consideration for grading the paper: originality of the
topic, good presentation and structure of the paper, the use of references to
the works and articles in the construction of the argument, grammar.
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Length of the paper must be 2500-4000 words of text, without including
the bibliography and the title. Count the word total and write it down at the
end of the paper so that the professor can see it clearly.
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The paper must not have any spelling errors and must be spell-checked.
In case the paper has spelling-problems that can be detected by a computer
program (other errors are OK), the paper will be automatically penalized a 15%
and you will have to spell-check the paper and turn it in again.
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The paper must have the name of the student, the number of the
class, and the title of the paper clearly stated on the front page. The
pages must be numbered and stapled.
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The paper must be turned in before the deadline (5 PM). Two copies 1-
digital copy by email (