Peruvian cinema in dispute: Radical right wing in digital media against documentaries of recent history

Abstract

From the analysis of discourse, this article breaks down a group of opinion articles published in digital media in relation to the situation of Peruvian cinema in the context of the discussion of a bill that emerged from a radical right-wing movement. These discourses coming from authors of different branches express a position within a broader imaginary of the radical right in relation to a social function of cinema. The 'cultural battle' becomes a narrative of opposition, where diverse expressions of the artistic and cultural sphere are assumed as "aggressions" or as antagonists to be fought. The figure of the adversary to be eliminated is embodied in four documentaries: La Revolución y la Tierra, Hugo Blanco, Río Profundo, El viaje de Javier Heraud and Rojo Profundo, partially financed with public funds and dealing with four figures of recent history associated with the internal armed conflict. From the application of some categories proposed by Halliday, a unified discourse is confirmed, generating a versus between the interests of cinema and citizenship, with the purpose of discrediting or annulling the expressive proposals of the mentioned films.