Memory, human rights films and symbolic reparations : a case study on the new Argentine cinema

Abstract

The overall objective of the thesis is to analyze from a theoretical point of view the potentiality of human rights films as an effective means of symbolic reparations. Since the late 1980s human rights films emerged as an independent strand in the field of cinema and became a powerful tool for the promotion of human rights. The films influence the public opinion and encourage the participation in relevant debates for the society. Ultimately, human rights films represent a significant support for the construction of social memory which is a process vital to a well-functioning democracy. The thesis will draw on the specific context of Argentina and it will illustrate through the analysis of two films the relationship between social memory with a gender perspective and human rights films.