UC Documentary History

History, Theory, and Aesthetics

Lecturer: Nuno Sena

This theoretical course proposes an introduction to the history and aesthetics of documentary film practice, in order to give students a wide-ranging understanding of some of the most significant landmarks in the evolution of the documentary art form.

Classes focus on the screening of a selection of films acclaimed as essential references in the tradition of western documentary, covering the period from the early forms of the 1920’s to the foundations of modern documentary in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Further analysis intends to provide an understanding of the context of the periods in which the films were produced by examining correlated cultural, social, artistic and technical influences.

Organised around lectures, screenings and discussions, the course topics are contextualised and put in perspective through preparatory reading of academic literature and through personal research.