Beyond the anthropocentric gaze: the nonhuman animal as object/subject of vision in cinema

• Autores: Luca Lunardi, Fabiano D’Este
• Localización: The posthuman condition in 21st century literature and culture: interdisciplinary Insights / María Ferrández Sanmiguel (ed. lit.), Esther Muñoz González (ed. lit.), Carmen Laguarta Bueno (ed. lit.), 2025, ISBN 978-3-031-83701-2, págs. 185-202
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The dominant portrayal of nonhuman animals in cinema and other media both reflects and reinforces an anthropocentric cultural context, casting animals through a humanized lens. This chapter draws on ecological posthumanism theories (Roberto Marchesini and others) and Film Studies addressing stereotypes in animal representation. The aim is to rethink animal portrayal by contrasting American mainstream cinema, where an anthropocentric gaze prevails, with experimental films that explore alternative perspectives. In the former, animals are often objects of vision; in the latter, they can become subjects of vision. In the first section, we explore mainstream American cinema’s depiction of nonhuman animals as “monster” or “mirror” animals. The monster animal disrupts or transgresses human boundaries, representing fear, dominance, or threat. Conversely, the mirror animal is fully anthropomorphized, reflecting human traits back to the viewer. The second section examines the posthumanist approaches of slow cinema and multispecies documentary, highlighting contemporary films that depart from entertainment-driven narratives. These films center on cinematic experience as a multisensory investigation, seeking a broader perspective that values nonhuman animals beyond anthropocentric framing. This shift aims to open a vision that can consider the animal as an independent presence, not merely as an object but as a possible subject of vision.