Description
Title: Composing a Nation through “Typically Portuguese” ‘Silent’ FilmAbstract: The narrativization of cinema and the affirmation of what scholars have been calling the narrative era was driven, in
Portugal, by the emergence of four production companies: Caldevilla Film, Fortuna Films, Invicta Film, and Pátria
Film (active between 1918 and 1925). The feature films they funded during this period were labeled 'typically
Portuguese' by the local trade press, a nationalist option that had a twofold purpose: to guarantee that Portugal, a
peripheral Iberian country, was able to penetrate the national and international markets; and to promote the country's
image abroad, by showing these films in France, the US and Brazil. Music was key in advancing this national
framework, further reinforcing the aesthetic singularity of Portuguese cinematography. These companies would
often collaborate with folklorist Armando Leça and composer Tomás de Lima, who composed original music for
several of these films. I propose to discuss the role of music in asserting a national narrative cinema, by focusing on
the original scores for A Rosa do Adro (Georges Pallu/ Armando Leça, 1919), Os Fidalgos da Casa Mourisca
(Georges Pallu/ Armando Leça, 1921), and Os Lobos (Rino Lupo/ Tomás de Lima, 1923/25). When doing so, I will
establish a dialogue with other national realities recently studied in the field of film music studies (Marks 1997;
Altman 2004; Brown & Davison 2012; Colturato 2014; Tieber & Windisch 2014).
| Period | 30 May 2020 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | New York, United States, New YorkShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |