This CU intends to map the network of interdependent connections that exist between film, heritage and contemporary culture. The syllabus will start by questioning the usefulness of film archives and moving image repositories: why should contemporary societies allocate time and resources for the preservation of historical images? To whom do those images belong? In which ways and for what purposes are they used today? The importance of a material history of cinema will be argued as a way to develop a critical view towards film heritage and its often-conflictual integration within nationalist and other identitarian narratives. Students will also learn about the contemporary challenges and strategies employed in the re-activation and re-circulation of these images by film heritage institutions such as film archives, film museums and cinematheques. Finally, a series of Portuguese case studies will address specific ways in which some films have been mobilized to account for competing, sometimes contradictory representations of the historical past. By the end of the semester, students are expected to have developed a vast knowledge and a critical posture towards the complex relations between film, heritage and culture.