The disappearance of film forums as a reflection of the decline of the Andalucia’s transition film club movement

Abstract

The process of changing from the dictatorial to the democratic regime in Spain involved a series of transformations that affected practically all social spheres, including the field of culture, media and cinema. With regards to the cineclubista [film society] movement in Andalucía, the key focus of this article, the founding of the new political system led to the modification of its operative guidelines, a situation which caused its decline and subsequent extinction. To be more precise, one of the most relevant changes can been observed in the gradual disappearance of the cineforum [film discussion group] as the organisational structure of the cineclub meetings. One of the factors, amongst others, that had a decisive influence on the extinction of the cineforismo was the explosion of television films. The films shown on television during the Democratic Transition and the broadcasting of TV programmes such as “La clave” and “Pista libre” created a cinematographic space alongside the cineclubes which were much more comfortable and accessible for the majority of the general public who would attended this type of organisation.