Narrative Representations of Women in Costarrican Fiction Cinema (2008-2012)

Abstract

This article sets out to identify the dominant narrative representations of women in costarrican feature films between the years 2008 and 2012. It analyzes 15 film texts from three separate perspectives: the simple tally of women protagonists; the recurring actantial functions of female characters within the stories; and the outcome of the “Bechdel Test”. The study shows the inequality in authorship between men and women; distorted constructions of femininity; and the prevalence of a “male gaze” which shapes the representation of women as subordinated to men. These traits reassert the main concerns of Feminist Film Theory, and urge us to search for ways in which to minimize symbolic violence in the context of a thriving film industry.