Translating the Real to the Reel: The Representation of Latinx Migration in Documentaries

Abstract

The present doctoral study aims to chart the representation of Latinx migration to the US in documentary films with a methodology inspired by Translation Studies. The study’s point of departure is the brand of poststructuralism that pushed identity towards post-identity – a container of worldviews that recognize the invented primordiality of identity while acknowledging the existence of ideologies that fall prey to these so-called inventions. Of special interest is, therefore, the US independent documentary scene, which developed to offer an alternative lens to social issues such as migration. More specifically, the study analyzes eighteen independent documentaries on Latinx migration that aired between 1988 and 2018 on the PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) series POV, the first and longest-running showcase of independent nonfiction films in the US. Approaching these documentaries as new forms of translation, the study relies on the metalanguage of translation theory to examine how POV’s independent documentary filmmakers, in their cognizance of the aforementioned discursive spectrum, translate stories on Latinx migration from the real to the reel.

Date of Award	28 May 2021
Original language	English
Supervisor	An Van Hecke (Co-promotor), Inge Lanslots (Promotor), Elisabeth Bekers (Jury), Peter Flynn (Jury) & María Isabel Alfonso (Promotor)