Abstract

ZIRION PEREZ, Antonio. Different Ways of Watching Films: New Spectators and Independent Cinema Networks in Mexico. Desacatos [online]. 2018, n.58, pp.132-147. ISSN 2448-5144.

This article reviews the state of cultural consumption studies from an anthropological perspective, focusing on Latin America. It analyses the emerging panorama of independent cinema exhibition in Mexico City, mainly of documentary films, in festivals and cinema clubs, describing their creative strategies and collaborative networks. In this framework, this paper points out the need for serious ethnographic research on new cinema spectators, articulating notions and techniques from different fields of anthropology in order to understand the new forms of audiovisual consumption in the digital era. The author presents a particular case of a film showcase, which is revealing the methodological challenges and epistemological dilemmas involved in the study of contemporary visual culture.

Keywords : cultural consumption; independent cinema; festivals; spectators; networks.