Powerful Women and Historical Representation in Spanish Cinema

Abstract

This paper explores the representation of history in contemporary texts and the idea that historical narratives are constructed and reconstructed to suit intended social and political messages of their time. It focuses on two recent Spanish historical dramas which explore the lives of prominent Spanish women: Juana la Loca (Aranda, 2001) and Teresa, el cuerpo de cristo (Loriga, 2007). Both women have demonstrated an enduring popularity; their fascinating personal histories, and particularly the myth of madness that has haunted them throughout the centuries, being repeatedly reinvented across numerous art forms and for different purposes. The paper examines how these films sit within the political and cultural consciousness of the time in which they were produced, and also how fictional conceptualisations of powerful historical women are constructed to reflect alternative purpose and agenda.