The Film Studies group, created in 2013, has been developing research activities in the context of film history, theory and criticism. Its work has been mainly focused on Portuguese cinema and the way by which the singularities of this national filmography actively participated in some of the major paradigm shifts of contemporary cinema. In 2018, the group has redefined its dominant areas of work. These areas, constitute its main (but not exclusive) axes of work.
Principal Investigator: António Preto
MAIN RESEARCH AXES FOR 2018-2022
Portuguese Cinema - Coord: António Preto
Focusing on contemporary cinema, this research area intends to examine the recent national cinematographic production, attempting to question the conventional parameters that, since 1960s, have been considered to identify and characterize Portuguese cinema. In the light of the current cinematographic panorama, there is a lack of criteria able to define the specificity of a "Portuguese school", with its own aesthetic. Thus, this research area aims to find possible lines of convergence in a context marked by the singularity of authorial research.
Space in Cinema - Coord: Henrique Muga
Developing research work centred on the notions sequence shot and depth of field, this research area aims to introduce a critical synthesis of the theoretical production developed in this area, trying to problematize on such notions and to launch new ways of reflection based on the representation of space and time in contemporary cinema. Emphasizing the relation between cinema and architecture, with particular focus on notions such as trajectory - considering, also, the place and the role of the spectator - this research also aims to extend the reflection towards new modalities of presentation and circulation of cinematographic objects, namely in the context of exhibition or digital platforms.
History of Cinema - Coord: Nelson Araújo
Centred on re-thinking the History of Cinema, namely in articulation with other artistic domains, this research area intends to develop an integrative and transversal study of the history of moving images, considered from different disciplinary and epistemological frameworks. Alongside the problematizing of the research field and the processes of historical elaboration, it is proposed to develop a reflection on the instruments and methodologies specific to this type of approach.