(Re)-constructing national cinema in minoritized language contexts: the case of Wales and Galicia

This thesis examines the relationship between cinema in minoritized language contexts and the (re-)construction of (national) identity/ies in contexts. More precisely, it concentrates on two cases, Wales and Galicia. The study considers the employment of visual art in these minoritized language contexts, and mainly focuses on cinematic representations expressed through the medium of Welsh and Galician with the aim of determining the kind of cinema that is being developed in Wales and Galicia in their autochthonous languages. This has helped evaluate how these cinemas have approached the question of identity/ies in films that have been shot in Welsh and Galician. Although the thesis focuses on these two particular cases, i intends to offer alternatives and readings that could be applicable in similar contexts. In effect, the aim of this study is to analyse the ways in which certain minoritized language contexts and/or ethnic groups deal with aspects such as language, place, gender, ethnicity and identity; how these elements interrelate and, more importantly, how they are used and represented in order to (re-create (national) cinema. It also discussed the following questions: what is the current situation and state of affairs in terms of cinema production and culture in Wales and Galicia, what is national identity and how can it be defined in the cinema of minoritized language contexts, and what are the expectations for the future of cinema in these contexts