Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
6-2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Program
Comparative Literature
Advisor
Paul Julian Smith
Committee Members
Giancarlo Lombardi
Jerry Carlson
Subject Categories
Arts and Humanities | Film and Media Studies
Keywords
urban theory, genre, film, Africa, Latin America
Abstract
This project studies twelve African and Latin American films from a range of eras and countries, with an emphasis on their treatment of urban space, their manipulation of genre elements, and their approaches to character subjectivity. The analysis draws on major works of urban theory by Henri Lefebvre, Manuel Castells, David Harvey, Jane Jacobs, and others in order to investigate the relationship between cinema and the urban experience. As the films in the study are mostly set in cities that are not discussed by the theorists, the analysis entails testing their theories against the realities of these other settings, as depicted in the films. Furthermore, as these films depict places and people not usually featured in commercial cinema, this project will emphasize ways in which the films challenge dominant patterns of cinematic representation with regard to African and Latin American people, places and culture. Finally, this project will analyze important structural and stylistic nuances of each film in order to contribute to existing discussions of African and Latin American film and global film in general.
Recommended Citation
Marcus, Matthew, "Urban Space, Genre and Subjectivity in African and Latin American Cinema" (2023). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5256