Unearthing Historical Memory: Parallel Mothers and the Politics of Remembrance

This thesis will situate Pedro Almodóvar's 2021 film Parallel Mothers within the broader context of Spanish history and cinema while drawing on theory from memory studies, media studies, and sociology to provide an analysis of the ways that Parallel Mothers engages and generates audience engagement with historical memory. I will examine the unique visual and narrative strategies that the film deploys in its engagement with memory, reflect on the film’s contributions to the (re)construction of historical memory, and consider the political potential that this film holds in a contemporary context. I argue that the film is a radical departure from any prior film dealing with the Spanish Civil War and that—through its narrative structure, invocation of postmemory, and usage of spectral realism—it serves as a site to reconstitute historical memory and inspire political action towards restorative justice.