The Politics of Affect and Emotion in Contemporary Latin American Cinema: Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, and Mexico

This book explores the role of emotion and affect in recent Latin American cinemas (1990s-2000s) in the context of larger public debates about past traumas and current anxieties. The author examines some of the most significant trends in contemporary Latin American filmmaking, including the emergence of the thriller as a preferred genre to address the legacies of the 1960s and 1970s; the rise of “youth” films about globally-connected and disaffected young adults; and the proliferation of transnational productions by “traveling” filmmakers that encourage audiences to feel for “others.” The book features close textual analysis of individual films from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, and Mexico as well as commentary on the changing structure of Latin American film industries. It frames those analyses within a discussion of recent critical and theoretical debates about affect, sentimentalism and compassion, particularly as they relate to film.