History at the Turn of the Century:History at the Turn of the Century: Childhood and Memory in Recent Childhood and Memory in Recent
Hispanic CinemaHispanic Cinema
Natalie Nix
Dr. Vania Barraza-Toledo
IntroductionIntroduction Many Hispanic film directors
have turned the focus their films to narrating history through the eyes of children
◦El espinazo del diablo (2001)◦Kamchatka (2002)◦Machuca (2004)
Historical Context of FilmsHistorical Context of FilmsSpanish Civil War: 1936-1939
Republicans vs. Rebels or nationalists
Resulted in dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco
Latin American Dictatorships: 1970’s Liberal/communist vs. conservative Conflict between political parties Chile: dictatorship of Augusto
Pinochet Argentina: dictatorship of Jorge
Videla
Reflecting Upon PastReflecting Upon Past
The transition into a new millennium creates a time of self-reflection upon history and past events
By using children, films depict how history and memory influence construction of a personal and collective identity in Latin America and Spain
Commercial success of El laberinto del fauno presents the importance of this trend of introducing history through film to a broad public
Research Topic Research Topic The three films involved in this
project depict how revisiting the memories constructed during traumatic times in Hispanic history is essential to the formation of contemporary Hispanic identity during the transition to the 21st century
El espinazo del diablo El espinazo del diablo (2001)(2001)Guillermo del ToroStory of a boy living in Spain
during the Spanish Civil WarAfter his father is killed in battle,
young Carlos is brought to an orphanage where he avenges the ghost of a murdered orphan
Machuca Machuca (2004)(2004)Andrés WoodThe story of a young boy living in
Chile during the early 1970’s Ignoring social constraints,
Gonzalo Infante befriends a member of the working class, Pedro Machuca
Kamchatka Kamchatka (2002)(2002)Marcelo PiñeyroExplores the alternative realities
that are created for children by their parents in times of crisis
Follows young Harry and his family as they flee from Buenos Aires to a remote location
MethodologyMethodologyAnalysis of Films
oExtratextualoIntratextual
Categories of Analysis◦Family Situations◦Social Boundaries/Different Levels of
Reality◦Spatial Boundaries
Results: Social Results: Social Boundaries/RealitiesBoundaries/RealitiesKamchatka: alternative to reality
created through games Machuca: pre-set social boundaries
are broken by friendship of boysEl espinazo del diablo: supernatural
reality created by ghosts and superstitions
DiscussionDiscussionMorals or lessons learned in each
filmImportance of historical times
augment the persistence of memories in children
Memories serve as constant reminders of events during growth of child, thus greatly influencing identity
Discussion: Films and Current Discussion: Films and Current Hispanic Identity Hispanic Identity
Films remind viewers of old experiences or present history to a younger audience
Without memories, formation of identity is greatly hindered
Strong historical moments combined with personal stories help create a personal and communal Hispanic identity
ConclusionConclusionConnection exists between the
hardships children faced during their experiences and the formation of who they become as adults
The identity of an individual is greatly influenced by the memories and experiences gained during childhood