Matthew wrote a PhD entitled ‘Side-Splitting: Humour and National Identity in Contemporary Spanish Cinema (1970–2020)’ under the supervision of Santiago Fouz Hernández and Michael Thompson, and graduated in 2021.
I explored how Spanish film comedies have satirised and reshaped national identity during pivotal sociopolitical moments. I traced how, as Spain evolved from dictatorship to democracy, laughter operated as a cultural mirror and moulder, reflecting and recalibrating Spain’s anxieties about gender, sexuality, heroism, national unity, and European and/or global identity.
Upon graduating from Durham, I worked for 3 years at King’s College London on the AHRC project ‘Screen Encounters with Britain: What do young Europeans make of Britain and its digital screen culture?’ Following that, I became Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University College Dublin, where I continue to investigate transnational comedy and cultural identity in a project analysing the twenty-first century Spanish romantic comedy on film and television.
I have translated and edited a book – Carolina Sanabria’s Ophelia Through Time: Reimaginings in Art and Film (Cambridge Scholars, 2025) – and my own prize-winning monograph, based on my PhD, is out now: Film Comedy and Spain: Humour, Genre, and the Nation 1970-2020. I’ve published in journals including Bulletin of Spanish Studies, Convergence, and International Journal of Iberian Studies, and remain active in public engagement, contributing to film festivals (Dublin International Comedy Film Festival, London Spanish Film Festival), and media discussions on Spanish cinema, e.g. The Guardian, and my own English-language podcast ‘Palomitas’ (Spanish for ‘popcorn’).
Beyond the intellectual thrill of archival digs and film analysis, I cherished Durham’s collaborative spirit. Teaching first-year undergraduates on the Contemporary Spanish Cinema module was a highlight – seeing students grapple with Almodóvar’s ambivalent irony or Bigas Luna’s knowing stereotypes reminded me why these films matter. Equally formative were the AHRC-funded placements at the London Spanish Film Festival and British Comedy Guide, where I bridged academia and industry by moderating Q&As, introducing films in short lectures, and interviewing actors and filmmakers onstage including Paco León and David Trueba.
Durham’s vibrant research culture was instrumental. My supervisors encouraged me to think beyond the thesis – whether through the Bigas Luna Tribute project, which deepened my understanding of transnational reception, or by presenting at Pleibéricos, a distinguished forum for Iberian Studies scholars. The department’s workshops and guest lectures (from globally-recognised scholars like Linda Williams) sharpened my interdisciplinary approach, blending film studies with political theory and gender studies.
Obviously I am now an academic scholar, so in that sense it prepared me excellently for the research life. But more importantly, the PhD taught me to navigate ambiguity – humour, like national identity, resists rigid definitions. This flexibility is invaluable in my current role, where I analyse the slipperiness of screen comedy about romance, courtship and dating practices in a post-#MeToo, even ‘post-romantic’ (San Filippo 2021) context marked by so-called ‘heteropessimism’ (Seresin 2019). Durham’s training in public engagement (through festival work and podcasting) also equipped me to translate complex ideas for broader audiences, a skill I continue to use in lectures and media collaborations.
Embrace the sideways glance. The most revelatory insights often come from unexpected intersections – teaching, industry placements, or writing for non-academic audiences, e.g. The Conversation. And write early: even a conference paper can evolve into a journal article. Writing doesn’t come after the thinking: writing is thinking – in real time, on the page.
Finally, remember that your work isn’t just about culture; it contributes to it. As an Undergrad, I used to think of myself as always the bridesmaid, never the bride: a critic or scholar, after all, is always secondary, always responsive. It took me a while to acknowledge that I am, already and always, a writer, and that my own contributions – providing critical analysis and context, developing media literacy skills of myriad students – are themselves valuable contributions to the arts, with their own form, meaning, reach, and significance.
Winning the BUCS National Pool Championships as Captain of Team Durham Pool & Snooker in December 2019, and singing with Durham University Chamber Choir in Durham Cathedral (2017-2019).
UCD profile: https://people.ucd.ie/matthew.hilborn
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-matthew-hilborn-55a19618a/
X and BlueSky: @matthewhilborn
Palomitas podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0uf4bGYfOHSzuK3rK2RXhi
Link to my book, Film Comedy and Spain: Humour, Genre, and the Nation 1970-2020 (Oxford: Legenda): https://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/Film-Comedy-Spain
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