Representing and re-signifying social space. The case of Los reyes del pueblo que no existe

Abstract

This work seeks to discursively and semiotically analyze the incipit and some key sequences of the documentary Los reyes del pueblo que no existe by Betzabé García, with the aim of critically observing, on the one hand, how the causes and effects of the violent reality suffered by contemporary Mexico; and, on the other hand, to reflect on the emergence of new ways of perceiving, explaining, living and making sense of the physical and social spaces disrupted by this violence, in this case, those relating to the town of San Marcos, in the municipality of Mazatlán, Sinaloa. It is particularly interesting to realize how this violence exercised by both the State-government and criminal groups seems to coexist and reshapes collective and individual spaces and spheres of identity in an exercise of resistance and social resilience.