Pilar Miró and the revival of noir in the nineties: Beltenebros and the femme fatale in the process of de(con)struction

Abstract

Pilar Miró has created new paradigms in neo-noir cinema made by women. Her filmic Project Beltenebros challenges some of the most typical visual and narrative conventions that have reinforced the femme fatale archetype. She has thus redefined gender/genre roles, questioning the traditional male gaze. Despite the filmmaker's lack of recognition in Spanish neo-noir cinema, she is a pioneer in this multifaceted genre, particularly in the development of a retro-noir variant. Furthermore, her film brings to light the different forms of violence that patriarchy exerts on the female body. It also facilitates the process of demasculinization of noir cinema by means of an intertextual and metafilmic exercise that privileges female discourse.