UC San Diego Global Seminars: Granada - Spanish Memories, African Hopes Through Literature and Film

A Mexican diplomat/poet living in Spain at the turn of the 19th century famously wrote: “Give him alms woman, for there is nothing in life like the sadness of being blind in Granada.” This is one of Spain’s most beautiful cities and a historical and cultural crossroads between Africa and Europe. Muslim Arabs, or Moors, ruled this region of Spain for seven centuries before their final expulsion in 1492 by Ferdinand and Isabella. The contrasts between the oldest parts of the city, comprising the Albaicin and the unparalleled fortress/palace called the Alhambra and the bustling contemporary metropolis are stunning. With over 75,000 students in the University of Granada, the city often feels like a college town.

Historically, the violence and trauma of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) and its aftermath were brutally experienced in Granada, and these are currently portrayed and re-imagined in world literature and Spanish cinema. Another reality of Spanish life is the ever-growing immigrant population, arriving from West and North Africa, adding to the diversity and richness of contemporary Granada. Literature and film from Africa and Spain, providing perspectives from both sides will be linked for a portrait of this evolving, often uneasy merger of complex cultures and religions. Study of texts and films will be dramatically augmented by field trips to Málaga and Morocco.