Paper short abstract:

This paper sets out to explore the distinctive features of Días de Santiago (Josué Méndez, 2004, Peru) in terms of both its aesthetic qualities and its production history, and argues for it to be considered as a ‘landmark’ work for national and regional cinema.

Paper long abstract:

In August 2004, debut feature Días de Santiago by 'new' Peruvian film-maker Josué Méndez finally screened in Lima at the capital's major film festival to great acclaim, after several months of worldwide screenings and prizes, including a nomination for the Tiger Award at the Rotterdam Festival which also supported its completion and distribution costs. The release strategy was deliberate: Peruvian critics had become prone to respond unfavourably to 'national' films, accusing them of being unambitious and lacking in stylistic innovation. This film - with its minimalist aesthetics, international support, and formal references to films such as those by Wong Kar Wei and Scorcese - offered something refreshingly different in their view. At the same time, it took a new approach to the representation of conflict, with a focus on the trauma suffered by a young combatant returning to civil life after a stint serving in the Armed Forces.

This paper sets out to explore the distinctive features of this film in terms of both its aesthetic qualities and its production history, and argues for it to be considered as a 'landmark' work. I aim to place it not only in the context of Peruvian cinema but also as a film that resonates with others like it across Latin America - in terms of funding and distribution strategies, aesthetic choices and a thematic emphasis on 'coming of age' that provides an oblique yet meaningful response to the socio-political context of a turbulent period in national and regional history.