In the dark. The lack of knowledge about Spanish cinema among the students of the University of the Basque Country

Abstract

Cinema, as a historical and social document, as well as an artistic work, is one of the most important cultural manifestations of a country. However, in recent years there has been a growing concern among university lecturers about the lack of knowledge that younger students show regarding Spanish cinema. The purpose of this research is to measure and evaluate, through a quantitative methodology based on surveys, the degree of knowledge that the students of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) have of the main classic and contemporary films that constitute the Spanish cinematographic canon. This study has revealed the existence of a generational gap between the youngest undergraduate students (between 18 and 22 years old) and those in the University Program for Seniors at the UPV/EHU (over 55 years old), as well as substantial differences between the different areas of knowledge, and a paradigm shift in the field of film consumption prescription. The results of the research confirm the ignorance and general lack of interest of the new generations in Spanish cinema, so the article proposes a reflection on the possible ways to reverse this situation.