Post-Conflict Representations in Contemporary Colombian Cinema

Abstract

This article adopts a qualitative film analysis approach to examine the narrative, aesthetic, and symbolic representations of the post-conflict period in three Colombian feature films. Cinema has played a fundamental role as a medium for representing the social dynamics that shape life in society. In the specific case of Colombia, contemporary Colombian cinema has served as a key medium for portraying the realities of the post-conflict period following the signing of the peace agreement in 2016. This study analyzes three feature films −The Animal’s Wife (2016), On the Other Side (2021), and The Fog of Peace (2020)− which address different perspectives on the post-conflict, ranging from historical memory to the challenges of reconciliation. Film analysis enabled the identification not only of the themes addressed by post-conflict cinema, but also of the formal mechanisms through which these themes are transformed into social discourse.