Life on Wheels: Disability, Democracy, and Political Inclusion in Live Flesh and The Sea Inside
2010; Liverpool University Press; Volume: 4; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/jlc.0.0040
ISSN1757-6466
Autores Tópico(s)Spanish Culture and Identity
ResumoThe article explores how the representation of disability in two Spanish films elucidates the connection between democracy and political inclusion. Pedro Almodovar's Carne tremula (Live Flesh, 1997) depicts Spain's transition to democracy, while Alejandro Amenabar's Mar adentro (The Sea Inside, 2004) portrays the life of Ramon Sampedro, a quadriplegic proeuthanasia activist. Both films treat disability as a minority identity from which critical scrutiny of the contemporary democratic state emerges; yet they offer very different assessments of the political value of that identity. Carne tremula aligns disability with larger cultural transformation, demonstrating how the inclusion of people with disabilities might foster a more democratic political climate for all citizens. Mar adentro, by focusing solely on individual rights, presents disability as something to be accommodated but not a force for broader social change. Examined together, the films offer a framework for rethinking the roles of both disabili...
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