National identity and Spanish cinema: The género chico in Spanish silent cinema. A discussion of the cinema adaptation of La verbena de la Paloma (Jose Buchs, 1921)
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No 10 (2011): Arte e identidade, Subject
Submitted: 20-12-2012
Accepted: 20-12-2012
Abstract
The adaptation of zarzuelas (Spanish light operas) and género chico (literally “little genre”) works was, during the 1920s, one of the means by which Spanish cinema acquired its national identity, gaining public acceptance and the support of the new film industry. The catalyst for this was the filming of La Verbena de la Paloma (The Fair of the Dove), directed by Jose Buchs in 1921 for the Madrid production company Atlantida and based on the one-act musical by Ricardo de la Vega and Tomas Breton. Study of the film, which was recently rediscovered, reveals the process by which género chico was absorbed by the incipient film industry, which led to the development of a new national art form directly interwoven with its staging traditions, and its culture and folklore.
Keywords:
Zarzuela, género chico, silent cinema, adaptation, national identity
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