Barcelona with the Eyes of the Other in Si nos dejan (Ana Torres, 2004)

• Autores: Clara Guillén Marín
• Localización: Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, ISSN 2474-1604, ISSN-e 2474-1612, Vol. 1, Nº. 2, 2017, págs. 265-285
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The documentary Si nos dejan (2004) by Argentinian filmmaker Ana Torres is an exploration of the subject of immigration in Barcelona. By applying the theories of Jacques Rancière and Michel de Certeau, I analyse how Torres has created a forceful film originating from her need to express what she felt had been neglected ‘by acts of rule’. In this way, she is empowered to express her viewpoint and, in the words of Thomas Mathien ‘have the effect of shifting the way in which the social is perceived’. Thus, Torres’ documentary functions both as an arena of contestation and as a scene of dissensus thanks to the use of a dynamic political narrative discourse, strengthened by the director’s use of cinematic techniques. I will argue that Torres’ own position as an immigrant, together with the formal cinematic techniques she uses, enables her to create a documentary which functions as a political argumentation—a way of allowing her to give a voice to and thereby empowering the various migrant characters in the film.