Análisis de la representación de la ciudad en la obra del cineasta Sebastián Cordero

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the representation of the city in the cinematic work of Sebastián Cordero, using the film Ratas, ratones y rateros (1999), as a primary case study. The research stems from the need to understand how cinema influences the collective perception of urban space, particularly in contexts where the city is experienced through inequality and fragmentation. The guiding hypothesis for the methodological triangulation proposed that the representation of urban elements in film contributes to the construction of urban imaginaries. A qualitative and interdisciplinary methodology was applied, structured around a bibliographic analysis grounded in key theoretical authors, interviews with experts in architecture and film, a focus group involving students from various disciplines, and a systematic review of academic articles using the PRISMA method. Based on this foundation, a visual proposal was developed, focused on the graphic and comparative analysis of key scenes. The analytical process led to the conclusion that the way individuals internalize and re-signify a space represented in cinema depends deeply on their subjectivity, embodied experience, and situated memory. Therefore, it was not possible to definitively confirm or refute the initial hypothesis. Instead, the study arrives at an open-ended conclusion: while the role of cinema in generating urban imaginaries is acknowledged, it is also nuanced by the multiple ways in which the city is inhabited, perceived, and remembered.