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DENIS BROTTO

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Position

Professore Associato

Structure

Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Letterari - DISLL

Address

VIA E. VENDRAMINI, 13 - PADOVA

Telephone

0498279720

E-mail

denis.brotto@unipd.it

Denis Brotto is associate professor (L-ART/06) and lecturer of Cinema and Visual Culture at the University of Padua.
Since October 2020 he is President of the Master's Degree Course in Communication Strategies ('Strategie della Comunicazione').

At the same University, in 2010, he took his PhD in History and Criticism of Art, Music and Performing Arts.
Since 2008 he has participated in numerous national and international conferences and has written a wide range of essays about the following lines of research:
-New Digital Technologies;
-Aesthetics and Iconology of Cinema;
-Theories of New Media;
-Intertextual Relationships between Film Language and Literature;
-Theories and Techniques of Cinematic Language;
-Theories of Mass Communication;
-Cinema and the Notion of Author in Aleksandr Sokurov, Michael Haneke, Agnès Varda, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Marco Bellocchio, Joseph Losey, Laurent Cantet, Lech Majewski, Jean Vigo, François Truffaut, Francesco Rosi, Ermanno Olmi.

In 2010 he wrote the book "Observe the Enchantment. The Cinema and the Art of Aleksandr Sokurov”, the first Italian monograph dedicated to Sokurov. In 2012 he wrote the books "The Cinema in Pixels" and "Digital Plots" on the relation between cinema and new technologies.
In 2018, he wrote the book “Jean Vigo”, a new study perspective on the French director.
He has developed international researches conducted at the personal archive of Alexander Sokurov in Saint Petersburg, at the IRI (Institut de Recherche et de l'Innovation) - Centre Georges Pompidou of Paris and at the Berger Archive of the British Library in London.
He also studies the relationship between the language of cinema and the language of literature. In this regard, he edited the volume François Truffaut. Literature in the cinema (2017) and co-edited with Attilio Motta the volumes Interferences (2019) and Georges Simenon. Literature in the cinema (2020).

In addition to his theoretical research, he carries out practical research through the creation of videos and documentaries. He has made documentaries such as "Patrice Leconte" (2010), "La Pièce" (2011), the video installation “Esedra. Generation goes, generation comes” (2015) for the Jewish Heritage Museum of Padua, "In Bloom | Tito Livio" (2020, with Marco Paolini and Gabriele Vacis) screened on RAI5, "Logos Zanzotto" (2021, special event Giornate degli Autori/Edipo Re - Venice Film Festival), and "The shape of memory " for the 800th anniversary of the University of Padua.

He was a member of the avant-garde Ipotesi Cinema Group directed by the world renowned film director Ermanno Olmi. Since 2004 he has collaborated with important museums and institutions (including The Triennale Art Gallery of Milan, the Mart Museum of Rovereto, Condenast of Milan, Teatro Stabile del Veneto "Carlo Goldoni", Académie de France of Rome, Jewish Museum of Padua).

Notices

Notice and additional information:

Next student meetings:
-22 February 12 pm.
-29 February (at the end of "Nuovi Media e Cultura visuale" lesson - room 5, 6.45 pm)


USE OF THE EMAIL:
Given the commitments of academic life and in order to maintain quality in the exercise of this work, students are invited to limit the use of e-mail, reserving it in particular for meeting requests (indicating the motivation) and for proposing topics for the degree thesis (to be defined later at a meeting).

In particular, we ask you to avoid emails: sent from addresses other than the institutional address (@studenti.unipd.it); relating to requests for information already available on the Department website, in the syllabus, in moodle or on the University pages; intended for offices (e.g. International office, Junior Tutor, Internship Office, Student Secretariat…); reiterate emails (if you still haven't received an answer, be patient!, it means that I am carrying out other functions -research, teaching, third mission- or that your email falls within one of the cases indicated above).


REGISTRATION FOR EXAMS:
Students are invited to carefully follow the articles of the Regolamento delle Carriere degli Studenti:
“Lo studente deve ISCRIVERSI IN VIA TELEMATICA alle prove di accertamento del profitto, nelle DATE e con le MODALITA' indicate dalla competente struttura didattica" (Regolamento delle Carriere degli Studenti, Articolo 22, comma 1).
“E' dovere degli studenti sostenere gli esami nel pieno rispetto del lavoro e delle competenze dei docenti” (Regolamento delle Carriere degli Studenti, Art. 28, comma 5).

Students who wants to take the exam must register on uniweb on the dates indicated and attend the indicated session. The correction of written assignments can last 10/15 days based on the number of students.

For the registration of labs and workshops, registration on uniweb on the dates indicated is the only required (attendance at the exam is not required).


THESIS:
Prior attendance of one of my courses is required.
A reception meeting is required to propose or define a topic for the thesis.
As my colleagues, the approval of the degree application and the consequent thesis title will take place only after having discussed together, reviewed and approved a large part of the thesis, including the title, without any exceptions.

Office hours

  • Wednesday from 18:45 to 19:45
    at Durante il secondo semestre in aula 5 (altrimenti nello Studio del docente - Polo Beato Pellegrino, I° piano - studio 35)
    Leggere con attenzione gli avvisi e le informazioni indicate dal docente. Prossimi ricevimenti: 22 febbraio ore 12 presso studio del docente. 29 febbraio, dopo lezione di "Nuovi Media e Cultura visuale" - aula 5, ore 18.45. Dalla fine di febbraio, con l'inizio dei corsi del secondo semestre, il Ricevimento si terrà ogni mercoledì, al termine della lezione di "Nuovi Media e Cultura visuale" in aula 5, alle ore 18.45. In caso di impegni accademici, il ricevimento può essere soggetto a modifiche di giorno e orario. Gli studenti sono dunque pregati di inviare una email al docente per fissare un incontro con almeno 4 giorni di anticipo.

Teachings

Publications

Main publications:

MONOGRAPHS:

-BROTTO D. (2018). Jean Vigo. MILANO: MIMESIS
-BROTTO D. (2012). Trame digitali. Cinema e nuove tecnologie. [Digital Plots. Cinema and New Technologies]. VENEZIA: MARSILIO
-BROTTO D. (2012). Il cinema in pixel. Mutazioni tecniche nella creazione filmica. [The cinema in pixels. The technical mutations in filmic creation]. PADOVA: UNIPRESS
-BROTTO D. (2010). Osservare l’incanto. Il cinema e l’arte di Aleksandr Sokurov. [Observe the enchantment. The Cinema and the Art of Alexandr Sokurov]. ROMA: ENTE SPETTACOLO

EDITED VOLUMES:
-(2020) Georges Simenon.La letteratura al cinema. VENEZIA: MARSILIO
-(2018) François Truffaut. La letteratura al cinema. VENEZIA: MARSILIO
-(2015) Studi novecenteschi, n. 90: “La scena del moderno: la città nel cinema e nel romanzo”. PISA: SERRA EDITORE
-(2012) Marco Bellocchio. L’inquietudine di un sogno. UDINE: CEC

BOOK CHAPTERS:
-(2019). Montaggio Rosi. Soggettiva e struttura filmica nel lavoro con Serandrei e Mastroianni. In: N. PASQUALICCHIO e A. SCANDOLA (a cura di). Francesco Rosi. Il cinema e oltre. P. 53-64. MILANO: MIMESIS.
-(2019). Linguaggi in chiaroscuro. Martone e il “Teatro di guerra”. In: D.BROTTO e A.MOTTA (a cura di). Interferenze. P. 149-160. PADOVA UNIVERSITY PRESS.
-(2018). Del flusso di coscienza dal letterario al filmico. Olmi, Bellocchio, Gaglianone. In: M.M.BORRÁS (Coord.). Qué Es El Cine. P. 377-390. EDICIONES UNIVERSIDAD DE VALLADOLID.
-(2018) “Lo stupore negli occhi dell’altro”; John Berger e l’immagine del desiderio. In: A.RABBITO, La cultura visuale del ventunesimo secolo. Cinema, teatro e new media. p. 135-150. MILANO: MELTEMI
-(2015) Ritratti e documentari. In: A.COSTA, Carlo Mazzacurati. p. 138-148. VENEZIA: MARSILIO
-(2014) Tenebre in luce. Le opere di Ceylan e Reygadas. In: AA.VV., Lo stato delle cose 2013. p. 27-36, CLEUP
-(2012) I colori dell’immagine. Modi del realismo digitale. In: AA.VV., Lo stato delle cose 2012. p. 18-29, TORINO: KAPLAN
-(2012) Jour après jour. L’autoritratto incompiuto e altri casi di autoportrait digitali. In: C.VIRDIS, N.MACOLA. Tempo e ritratto. La memoria e l’immagine dal Rinascimento a oggi. P. 271-282, PADOVA: IL POLIGRAFO
-(2011) Entre les murs. In: G.TINAZZI. Il cinema francese attraverso i film. p. 245-262, ROMA: CAROCCI
-(2010) Uomini verso l'oblio nell'ultimo Losey: La truite e Steaming. In: L.DE GIUSTI. Senza re, senza patria. p. 190-198, MILANO: CASTORO
-(2010) L’esthétique du journal intime numerique. Jean-Claude Rousseau et Agnès Varda. In: F.CASETTI, J.GAINES, V.RE. Dall'inizio, alla fine. In the very beginning, at the very end. p. 403-408, UDINE: FORUM

JOURNAL ARTICLES:
-(2019) L’esposizione dell’invisibile. Il phantasmata come forma dell’immaginazioneP. 25-39.FATA MORGANA, n.36.
-(2017) Domani è un’altra notte. Assenza e rievocazione in “Noche” di Leonardo Brzezicki, p. 25-32. RIVISTA PSICOLOGIA ANALITICA, n.44
-(2016) Il mito dell’ombra. Figure dell’oscurità nel contemporaneo, p. 128-140. FATA MORGANA, n.29
-(2015) La modernità come attesa. Disincanti urbani nel cinema italiano degli anni Cinquanta, p. 347-361. STUDI NOVECENTESCHI, n.90
-(2014) L’adiacenza e il presagio. Il paesaggio nel cinema digitale, p. 131-142. IMAGO
-(2013) La visione del reale. John Berger e la costruzione dell’immagine, p. 71-80. FATA MORGANA, vol.21
-(2013) A Digital Way for Film Studies & Soundscape Retrieval,p. 150-156. CINERGIE, n.3
-(2012) Dentro la bellezza del male, p. 11-14. CINEFORUM, n.509

Research Area

LINES OF RESEARCH:

-New Digital Technologies:
Relations between film language and new digital technologies, investigating the principal developments occurring as regards the film narration, the aesthetics of representation and the various technical aspects concerning the film industry.

-Iconology of Cinema:
From the pre-iconographic analysis to the Iconological study of a movie; the role of the symbolic in the image; cinema and museum; cinema and language or art.

-Theories of New Media:
Cinema as medium and its historical relationship with the mass media (journal, radio, tv, internet, social media).

-Intertextual Relationships between Film Language and Literature:
This kind of research has been developed focusing in particular on the work of authors such as Aleksandr Sokurov, Marco Bellocchio, François Truffaut, Ermanno Olmi, John Berger, Andrea Zanzotto.

-Cinema and the Notion of Author:
European Cinema Studies (Aleksandr Sokurov, Lech Majewski, Avi Mograbi, Nuri Bilge Ceylan);
French Cinema Studies (Jean Vigo and the milieu of 20's), François Truffaut, Laurent Cantet and the recent film production; Michael Haneke and the digital cinema; Agnès Varda, Patrice Leconte, Joseph Morder, Jean-Claude Rousseau, Jean-Daniel Pollet);
Italian Cinema Studies (Marco Bellocchio, Francesco Rosi, Ermanno Olmi);
Italian Cinema in the 50s and 60s (Giuseppe De Santis, Roberto Rossellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Federico Fellini).

-Theories and Techniques of Cinematic Languages:
the construction of the film from the concept to the creation (script, shooting, editing); the historical evolution of cinematic language; the cinematic thinking and the connection with the real.

-Practical Research:
Collaboration with important museums and institutions: the Mart Museum of Rovereto (2004), The Triennale Art Gallery of Milan (2007), Condenast of Milan (2010).
Creation of videos and documentaries: "Patrice Leconte" (2010), "La Pièce" (2011), “Esedra. Generation goes, generation comes” (2015).