Explore UCD

UCD Home >

PORT10090

Academic Year 2026/2027

Film and Fiction (in the Portuguese-speaking world) (PORT10090)

Subject:
Portuguese
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Languages, Cultures & Linguis
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Ana Vera
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module examines key films and short literary pieces from the 20th and 21st-century Portuguese-speaking world. The selected cultural productions serve as lenses to explore major political, social and cultural transformations that have impacted the contemporary Portuguese-speaking world. From Salazar's dictatorship and the colonial wars to post-colonial nation building and contemporary urban realities, we will explore how filmmakers and writers have grappled with themes of gender, identity, memory, and social change.

Students will develop skills in critical reading and film analysis, analyze the representation of historical events on film and fiction and their impact, and engage in debates about how cinema and literature shape perceptions of the Lusophone world.

This module is perfect for anyone who wants to:
Deepen their understanding of Portuguese-Speaking cultures, societies and histories.
Develop critical thinking and film analysis skills.
Appreciate the power of cinema as a social and political commentary.

This module requires no prior knowledge of Portuguese, and is taught entirely in English.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

- Analyse the role of film and literary productions in reflecting and shaping national identities
- Demonstrate a deeper understanding of Portuguese-speaking cultures and history through the lens of cinema.
- Identify key themes in Portuguese-speaking film and fiction that explore concepts of memory, identity and social change
- Develop strong arguments and participate in informed discussions about the representation of the Portuguese-speaking societies on screen.
- Develop strategies for analysing film and fiction, while gaining an appreciation for the artistic productions.

Indicative Module Content:

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary, it is envisaged that the course will include the following topics:

- The Colonial War and the Collapse of the Empire: Women's voices - The Murmuring Coast, by Margarida Cardoso; The Murmuring Coast (Chapter 1: The Locusts) by Lidia Jorge.

- The Carnation Revolution (April Captains, by Maria de Medeiros)

- Colonial Impressions in Mozambique (We Killed Mangy-Dog and Other Mozambique Stories, by Luís Bernardo Honwana)

- The Civil War (Sleepwalking Land, by Teresa Prata)

- Angola: in search of a Nation (Yes, Comrade! by Manuel Rui)

- Angola: Post-Conflict and Marginality (The Hero, Zézé Gamboa)

- "Favelas" & Violence (City of God, by Fernando Meirelles)

- Afro-Lusophone Urban Life (Colossal Youth by Pedro Costa)

- Indigenous Voices (The Dead and the Others, João Salaviza & René Massora)

- LGBTQ+ Representation in Lusophone Film (To Die Like a Man, João Pedro Rodrigues & Madame Satã, Karim Anouiz)

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Novice

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Novice

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Novice

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Novice

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Advanced Beginner

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Novice

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Novice

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Novice

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

38
Autonomous Student Learning

40
Lectures

24
Total

102

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module will be delivered face-to-face through two weekly sessions, combining lectures with interactive discussions, in-class group activities, and student participation. It is designed to introduce students to film analysis and to situate selected films and literary pieces within the broader social, political, and cultural context of the Portuguese-speaking world.
Lectures will demonstrate film analysis and build students' understanding of the relationship between film and its production context. Students will be expected to watch films ahead of the class, to prepare questions or read secondary sources for seminars and to participate actively in discussions. This tertulia activities prompt independent learning and provide the opportunity for individual engagement with particular aspects of the module. The end-of-trimester video-essay teaches students to develop their own research topic and trains creative and critical skills.
As this module is an Elective, it is expected that students are not necessarily students of languages, cultures or literature, and the Teaching/Learning approaches will reflect this non-specialist awareness, ensuring that all students can participate regardless of prior familiarity with film and fiction analysis.

Note on AI: The use of AI tools (e.g. Gemini, Copilot) is not permitted in this module. Students are expected to engage directly with module materials and activities without the use of AI tools. Also, you must not use AI at any point during the assessments.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Video-Essay: Film & Fiction recorded video presentation focusing on ONE of the 'video-essay' topics provided. See BrightSpace for choice of Presentation Project Topics and detailed instructions. Week 14 Graded No
60
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: A series of quizzes and open questions (on Brightspace) to be completed during the trimester. Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Graded No
40
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback individually to students on quizzes and final graded assessment Feedback to the class, on activities developed in class, where appropriate

Students are not required to purchase any materials for this module.
All films will be available on Brightspace (with English subtitles). I will also provide you with selected readings from different texts in order to give you some background to Portuguese-speaking history, filmmaking and fiction.

Name Role
Dr Pascale Baker Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Ana Vera Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 12:00 - 12:50
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 11:00 - 11:50
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 23, 24 Tues 11:00 - 11:50
Print this page
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.