Paper short abstract:

For my research, I have conducted a collaborative filmmaking project with female insurgents in prison. At the threshold between art and science this work has led to debates over its legitimacy for having a “humanizing agenda”. This paper will discuss thoughts on representation, identity and agency.

Paper long abstract:

Since the official end of the internal conflict in the year 2000, Peru has entered a period of transition from conflict to post-conflict. Aftermath narratives dominate the scene of public discourses that engage with different perceptions of the past. However, as one of my informants explained, the struggle for establishing "truths" has not come to an end, but the language has shifted from guns and grenades to words and images. Nonetheless, it is the place given to certain memories and their representations that has nurtured polemic debates over the right to be represented.

For my research, I have conducted a collaborative filmmaking project with women imprisoned for their affiliation with the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary movement. Following their creative engagement in the making of (self) representation, my aim was to understand specific aspects of their lived experiences. At the threshold between art and science its "humanising agenda", as critically referred to, has led to interesting debates over the legitimacy of such work. In addition, the recently discussed "negation" law, which foresees to prohibit any form of public approval, justification and minimisation of crimes committed by insurgents to "avoid the distortion of a historic reality", leaving extensive grounds for (mis)interpretations. This has created concern among artists, filmmakers and academics like myself, who run the risk for being accused to support militant ideologies. Taking these aspects into consideration, I shall discuss how audio-visual representations relate to the creation of truth, identity and agency in the context of Peruvian aftermaths.