La colaboración cinematográfica hispano-portuguesa (1943-1949)

Resum

The 1943-1949 period represents an extraordinary and peculiar stage of the Iberian relations, which has a significant effect in the film industry. Over the course of those years, cinema is the main propaganda tool. Spain and Portugal who share political and ideological ideas cooperate towards common objectives marked by their financial problems and their position of neutrality during World War II. We will approach two developing film industries, that co-produce eleven films during those years, from the production and distribution points of view, which we will relate with the environment in which they take place. Through fieldwork, carried out consulting collections of the Archivo General de la Administración of Alcalá de Henares, the Arquivo Nacional Torre do Tombo of Lisbon, the Filmoteca Española and the Cinemateca Portuguesa, we undertake a historical and descriptive overview of the films in order to verify the rise of Iberian film co-productions and the reasons that cause them. Through a chronological study of the films, we identify their most significant and common features, placing them within the cinematographic, social, political and financial contexts of each nation, setting up links among them. We also complement the data collected with a critical review of the theoretical contributions on the subject. Our research represents a contribution to history of film and, besides providing and analysing technical, artistic and political information, we lay the basis of present Spanish- Portuguese film co-productions. Iberian film collaboration during those years represents a specific period in the history of both film industries, which did not continue, and which prevented the consolidation of the Iberian audio-visual area just created. We stress the importance of Spanish-Portuguese technical and professional collaboration, as well as Government support strategies, essential for the projects achievement during a challenging phase from the funding point of view. The main reasons for both countries to work together are the reduction in the cost of production and the chance of internationalisation in Ibero-American countries...