The essay in Spanish contemporary audiovisual media: Definition, production and trends

Abstract

This article analyzes the Spanish audiovisual essay through a sample of 200 titles. Film essay is considered here as a means of expression and generation of thought whose characteristics perfectly reflect the fluidity of the contemporary condition. A study tool has been created with a threefold aim: to identify a corpus of representative works and authors of the Spanish audiovisual essay, to determine and classify the different essayistic trends according to their formal and thematic options and to deliver a productive contribution to the definition of the essay film. The results provide quantitative and qualitative data that reveal an atomized, authorial production, with predominance of short and medium duration films and with a wide thematic and formal diversity. The essay is revealed as an audiovisual form that articulates a line of thought and has some of the following features: it is self-reflective and asystematic; it presents a tendency towards subjectivity but can also take a stand on matters of public interest; it moves away from the more conventional audiovisual forms and engages with the viewer in an intellectual and emotionally active relationship. We found evidence of the political, social and aesthetic dimension of the essay film, as well as a tendency towards documentary and experimental forms.