Screening the Mediterranean: Portugal and Spain through the Lens

Portugal and Southern Spain have been used as sites for movies in their respective countries and Hollywood. Snow covered mountains or lush valleys in Andalusia, as well as sandy beaches, have been the template for various film genres. Arab influenced buildings, like the Alhambra in Granada, have been sought after locations for many visual stories. International directors recognized the potential of the various sites and used Andalusia for their work. The epic adventure drama Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean, 1962), the historical romance, Doctor Zhivago (David Lean, 1965), the Spaghetti Westerns of the Italian born director Sergio Leone, and all kinds of Italo-Westerns were completed on site. Newer films like the Indiana Jones adventure franchise, as well as the fantasy drama Game of Thrones and contemporary Netflix series such as The Crown, used Southern Spain as a background and inspiration.  

The landscapes trigger creativity, as does the rich and diverse cultural heritage. This course allows students to discover the sites of movie and TV classics while also exploring the countries’ rich visual histories on their own. We venture from Portugal to Southern Spain and create a travelogue of experiences with individual visual portfolios in video and photography. Students are encouraged to conduct interviews and integrate those into their depictions of local communities involved in the creative arts. We welcome sophomores, juniors, and seniors to join us on the trip.  

Our course encourages participants to connect with local communities in the creative arts, especially in Sevilla where we spend most of our time. It is a global tourist center for the study of flamenco. Students take a class to learn the steps of this dance.