Contemporary Peruvian Cinema

Sarah Barrow

The political violence that erupted towards the end of the twentieth century between the Peruvian state and militant group 'Shining Path' left an indelible mark on the country. This study explores representations of the insurgency on screen, and asks what these tell us about the relationship between state, fiction cinema and identity in Peru. The author highlights the Peruvian experience as a paradigm for the wider study of film-making in societies faced with violence and terrorism. She analyzes the pivotal films from the 1980s through to the present day that interpret the events, characters and consequences of the bloody conflict.