SPAN 4070: Hispanic Film
Film Analysis:
La cultura de Función de noche
This source is a Spanish paper written for a Hispanic Film class. The assignment was to elect one film we had studied and connect it to one of the overarching topics of the class, while also highlighting how the film uses cinematographic techniques to achieve its overall message. In this film, I analyzed how it discusses, normalizes, and brings attention to females in abusive marriages. This film and paper were very eye opening to the culture in Spain, because it took place during a time in Spain when divorce had recently become legal, but still remained stigmatized as the result of an oppressive dictatorship. I was able to research and discover the suffering of Spaniards and how revolutionary it was for them to gain freedoms that we consider normal and well established in the United States. For me, the assignment emphasized how different everyone's backgrounds are and while their beliefs might drastically differ from mine, I have to keep in mind their past and circumstances and still treat everyone with the same fairness they deserve.
SPAN 3070: Spain and the Hispanic World
Culture Presentation:
This source is a presentation about one of the seventeen autonomous communities in Spain, called Castilla y León. The assignment was to research your designated location and examine its cultural aspects like climate, gastronomy, local holidays, architecture, and native dances. Since this assignment took place at the start of my semester abroad in Spain, it got me familiar with much of the country's culture and politics, while also allowing me to go in depth into a specific area. I was exposed to many new ideas, forms of art, and local systems. Additionally, it helped my presentational skills and Spanish eloquence. In the future, I will be able to present more advanced demonstrations and speeches for graduate schools and jobs because of my profound experience in presenting and practicing a foreign language.