Use of cinema in the Pedagogy of Gender Studies and Spanish Language: Analysis of Two Works by Contemporary Mexican Directors, The Chambermaid (2018) and Night of Fire (2021)

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been a notable increase in the presence and prominence of women in Mexican cinema. This change is related to significant events, such as the conceptualization of the term 'femicide' by Mexican ethnologist, researcher, and educator Marcela Lagarde. Her work included the promotion of the General Law on Women's Access to a Life Free of Violence and the incorporation of the crime of femicide into the Federal Penal Code, legislation that has been in force since February 2007.

Within the framework of this Spanish language teaching congress, an investigation is proposed regarding the theme of violence directed at women and girls in the mountains of Guerrero, a region associated with opium poppy extraction. The cinematographic work 'Night of Fire' (2021), directed by Tatiana Huezo from El Salvador, plays a significant role in meticulously exploring this reality. The film delves into the life of a woman and, notably, that of her young daughter and her friends. Through its narrative, the constant struggle of these women in a remote corner of the mountains is revealed, where the threat of drug trafficking violence forces them to maintain constant, relentless vigilance.

This analysis will also address the gender representations present in the film 'The Chambermaid' (2018). Both cinematographic works offer valuable opportunities to reflect on the evolution of the representation of women in contemporary Mexican cinema and its connection to gender equality demands and the eradication of violence.