Feminist practices in contemporary Spanish documentary cinema. Reflections under the analysis of La casa de mi padre (Francina Verdés, 2014) and Mater Amatísima (María Ruido, 2018)

Abstract

Over the last years, the popularization of the documentary macro-genre has coincided with the increasing visibility of social movements striving for gender equality in Spain. Released in this context, some non-fiction films directed by women have exposed and denounced gender inequalities by means of creative film idioms that break away with the heteropatriarchal gaze of hegemonic cinema. Positioned in the subfield of feminist documentary in Spain, this paper reflects on the capacity of documentary films to radicaly challenge gender identities through an analysis of La casa de mi padre (Francina Verdés, 2014) and Mater Amatísima (María Ruido, 2018). The directors of both films retake feminist visual legacies, such as first-person narratives, performative practices, and dialogic empathy, to question yet another heritage, that posed by processes of mediation into the normalization of social inequalities.