Cinema in Higher Education – Languages in Approximation

Abstract

This paper intends to reflect on approaching strategies to cinema at the Viana do Castelo Polytechnic (IPVC), Escola Superior de Educação (Higher Education-ESE), the role of inter institutional partnerships and their impact on the artistic and cinematographic education of undergraduate and MA students. Drawing on questionnaire, it is demonstrated that the action research method enables the learners to grasp the interconnections between concepts of cinema and education and the role of cultural partnerships. The results recorded both successes and challenges of this method. This curriculum is recommended for its greater academic relevance, whilst its limitations underpin future scope for research. The originality of this study lies in the conceptualization, implementation and evaluation of some undergraduate and postgraduate courses, bridging the gulf between theory and professional practice. This small research recommends investigation and critique of some contemporary practices of visual representation, and of the shared cultural space in which the production of meaning through language takes place, with a view to considering its potential for helping teachers engage higher education students in critical enquiry of issues pertaining to cinema and considering links between education and partnerships.