La imagen de las mujeres árabes musulmanas en la cinematografía española de la segunda década del siglo XXI

Abstract

This paper is based on a previous study on the representation of Arab Muslim women in Spanish fiction series of the second decade of the 21st century. It was decided to replicate the analysis in a selection of films to determine whether both media offer similar cultural discourses about this group. Using a qualitative methodology based on the characterization model and the analysis of the stereotype figure, it was determined that, in fiction feature films and unlike the series, these women have been relegated to secondary characters with greater or lesser presence in the plot. Furthermore, their participation in the plot depends exclusively on their link with a male character. In both formats, they are represented with physical features frequently associated with their community and all of them wear a turban or hijab at some point in the plot. In both, series and films, there are characters from this group that break with the tendency to associate these women with the private sphere. In films, there are not many scenes in which stereotypes associated with this minority are expressed verbally. However, when this occurs, they confront and correct the concepts with which they are defined. Nevertheless, topics such as the way of life, religion, or violence are represented through preconceived ideas, usually associated with this community. It is concluded that, unlike in the field of serialized audiovisuals, Spanish cinema, for the most part, has returned to the first formulas of representation of Arab Muslim women. This is consistent with current data on audiovisual content production in Spain, which reflect a trend of return to the past in cinema, in relation to diversity and character representation. The image of this minority in films is characterized by invisibility, lack of voice, confinement to the domestic sphere, and links to violence and drugs. Therefore, the stereotype associating nationality with criminal behavior and substance abuse is maintained in Spanish fiction.