Films about the climate emergency: a problem without responsible or solutions

Main Article Content

David Vicente Torrico
Nereida López Vidales

Abstract

The film industry has opted to include the climatic emergency in its stories, thus configuring a narrative universe in which the spectator negotiates his identity and his own actions through the situations that appear on the screen. Through the application of content analysis, our research aims to reveal the discursive keys on which the film discourse is based, paying attention to the thematic variables represented, the construction of the characters, and the spaces recreated in the productions shown in Spanish cinemas between 2000 and 2019. The results reveal a biased treatment, both in the selection of variables and in the design of characters and settings, presenting a problem that mainly affects the Western population. In line with the above, the cinematic account of the climate emergency presents the same narrative deficiencies as the informative discourse, thus losing a valuable opportunity to transmit sustainable values. To avoid inaction and complacency among audiences, we make a series of recommendations based on contextualizing and empowering civil society through the design of recognizable situations and characters for the audience.

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How to Cite
Vicente Torrico, David, and Nereida López Vidales. 2022. “Films about the Climate Emergency: A Problem Without Responsible or Solutions”. Vivat Academia. Journal of Communication 155 (January):1-22. https://doi.org/10.15178/va.2022.155.e1311.
Section
Research Articles
Author Biographies

David Vicente Torrico, University of Valladolid

Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Valladolid, where he works as a professor in the area of Journalism. His lines of research focus on the media representation of climate change and natural disasters and the study of the film industry. He is part of the recognized research group Ocendi (Observatory of Leisure and Digital Entertainment) and collaborates in Climántica's environmental workshops.

Nereida López Vidales, University of Valladolid

Professor of the Degree in Journalism at the University of Valladolid. She is a Doctor in Political Science and Sociology, Journalist, Political Scientist, and Master in Radio Production. She has worked in various media and combines university teaching with the direction of the Observatory of Leisure and Digital Entertainment (GIR OCENDI), the direction of Radio UVa, and the Coordinations of the Degree in Journalism and the ELLCOM Doctorate Program (UVa). Her lines of research are audiovisual technology, radio and television, the evolution of professional profiles, young people and trends in media consumption, and the creation of new content. She has published several dozen scientific articles and eleven books.

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