Date of Award

6-2020

Document Type

Open Access

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Modern Languages and Literatures

First Advisor

Dr. William Garcia

Keywords

gay, queer, argentine, cinema, LGBTQ, LGBT, spanish, film

Abstract

This project explores the telling of queer narratives in contemporary Argentine cinema through the psychological theoretical approach of memory and consciousness, as well as a queer theoretical approach. The extant queer cinema is often Westernized and white-focused, whereas Argentine cinema provides a more realistic representation of queer narratives, incorporating themes of race, class, and culture. Thus, I propose that current Argentine cinema reveals a queer narrative that is nuanced, emotional, and deeply personal, ultimately challenging both LGBTQ, mainstream cinema (too often filmed through a heteronormative canon), and the public’s perspective on lived queer experiences.

Analyzing Martin Deus’s Mi Mejor Amigo(2018), Papu Curotto’s Esteros (2016), and Nadir Medina’s Instrucciones para flotar un muerto(2018), I argue that these modern queer narratives challenge the public’s perspective through a complex dynamical interaction between memory and consciousness. Memory is the psychological construct of thoughts rooted in the past, which cinema may position memory as a more nuanced means of a pathos approach through tender, nostalgic moments. Each director plays with this concept to contrast the tension of the present moment, often creating a polar temporal dimension between the consciousness and memory. Psychologically, consciousness is the working of the mind in the present moment; directors utilize this as a means to explore the deeper mental state of protagonists in a tension of sexuality, identity, and emotion. While directors may not intentionally use psychological constructs, this analysis allows a theoretical basis through which each film restructures queer narratives in a meaningful and progressive manner.

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