Incomplete Resistance: Representations of Prostitutes and Prostitution in Contemporary Brazilian and Mexican Films

Abstract

Representations of prostitution are often used to negotiate changing meanings of gender and economy during times of turmoil. This dissertation examines the Brazilian films, O Céu de Suely (2006), Baixio das Bestas (2007) and Deserto Feliz (2008) and two Mexican films El Callejón de los Milagros (1995) and ¿Quién diablos es Juliette? (1996) to better understand how they deal with representations of prostitution in a rapid transition to neoliberalism. In order to better understand this process, I develop a concept called "incomplete resistance." This term connotes the practice of denouncement without indictment. That is, the existence of prostitution and the conditions that compel women to sell sex are lamented, but without identifying the real underlying causes. Additionally, several of the films examined in this dissertation decry the conditions that lead women to be prostituted, but simultaneously encourage the viewer to take pleasure in the process. By contextualizing the films within the changing film industries of Brazil and Mexico, I seek to illuminate the connections between gender, prostitution films and governmentality.