BookenDeX — Better Discovery eXperience
Cover of The politics of affect and emotion in contemporary Latin American cinema
Book details

The politics of affect and emotion in contemporary Latin American cinema

Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, and Mexico

by Laura Podalsky

Published 2011218 pagesISBN 978-0-2301-0955-1

"This book explores the role of emotion and affect in recent Latin American cinemas (1990s-2000s) in the context of larger public debates about past traumas and current anxieties. To address this topic, it examines some of the most significant trends in contemporary Latin American filmmaking, including the emergence of the thriller as a preferred genre to address the legacies of the 1960s and 1970s; the rise of "youth" films about globally-connected and disaffected young adults; and the proliferation of transnational productions by "traveling" filmmakers that encourage audiences to feel for "others." The book features close textual analysis of individual films from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, and Mexico; as well as commentary on the changing structure of Latin American film industries. It frames those analyses within a discussion of recent critical and theoretical debates about affect, sentimentalism and compassion, particularly as they relate to film"--

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Full BookenDeX details

What the reading experience may hold

A fuller profile for choosing with more confidence—not just another copy of the preview.

Themes to notice

Nonfiction

Use these as starting points rather than limits; the most memorable books often stretch beyond their catalog labels.

Content notes

Catalog signals suggest abuse or trauma. These notes may not be complete; consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.

These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.

Reading experience

Shadowed tone · Urgent pace

Works well for a focused weekend or a few concentrated sittings.

Who it may suit

A good fit if…

Readers who want a thoughtful experience and enjoy noticing the connections beneath a book’s surface story.

At a glance

This book's DNA

A visual estimate based on this edition's categories, description, and length. Select a star to explore the signals.

ToneShadowed
LuminousDark

This signal is descriptive, not a rating. It helps compare the kind of reading experience this edition may offer.

No plot details

Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc

A broad estimate of the book’s emotional rhythm, shown without story events or outcomes.

Spoiler-free
12345
PeakRelative emotional intensity
The politics of affect and emotion in contemporary Latin American cinemaLaura Podalsky
Powerful5/5

This visualization is an interpretive estimate based on catalog description, categories, tone, pace, and content signals. It does not describe specific scenes.

Before you choose

A quick reading snapshot

Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.

Reading lengthA shorter read218 pages in this edition
Publication eraModernFirst published or edition dated 2011
Primary categoryNonfictionExplore similar books below
ISBN-13
978-0-2301-0955-1
Language
English
Edition record
OL25032448M
BookenDeX editorial lens

A more thoughtful way into this book

This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.

Good to know

Works well for a focused weekend or a few concentrated sittings.

Begin with its place in Nonfiction, then notice where the book resists that label.

Try this reading approach

Read for connection, not completion.

Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.

Three questions to carry with you

  1. Whose perspective organizes the story, and whose perspective remains outside it?
  2. Which sources or lived experiences carry the author’s central argument?
  3. How does the book change the way you understand its larger subject?

Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.