Spain on the big screen: Regional imaginary, popular culture and national identity in the Spanish cinema of the first half of the twentieth century

The article studies the role of cinema in the development and dissemination of discourses and narratives concerning Spanish national identity. It presents a historical overview from the beginnings of cinema to the first decades of the Francoist dictatorship. The analysis focuses on two main areas: the relationship between cinema and other forms of popular culture, and the use of regional symbols in cinema in order to personify the essence of Spanishness.