The Return of the Living Dead. Queer Failure and Capitalism in Papu Curotto's Esteros
This article analyzes the film Esteros (2016) by Papu Curotto (with script by Andi Nachón) through the notions of success and failure viewed as mechanisms of capitalism for the control of bodies, lives and subjectivities. The film shows the amorous reunion of the protagonists, now adults, after a se...
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| Format: | Online |
| Language: | spa |
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Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad
2025
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| Online Access: | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/44188 |
| _version_ | 1838319139270164480 |
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| author | Rubino, Atilio |
| author_facet | Rubino, Atilio |
| author_sort | Rubino, Atilio |
| collection | Portal de Revistas |
| description | This article analyzes the film Esteros (2016) by Papu Curotto (with script by Andi Nachón) through the notions of success and failure viewed as mechanisms of capitalism for the control of bodies, lives and subjectivities. The film shows the amorous reunion of the protagonists, now adults, after a sexual-affective relationship that was cut short in their childhood. In this way, the film alternates between two timelines and thus moves away from the idea of family homophobia or the environment as the reason for the separation of the lovers; on the contrary, it is precisely capitalism and the notion of success that generated the estrangement of the children, as well as a heteronormative adult life in the case of one of them. Hence, the zombie becomes a symbolic figure that runs through the whole film and alterns between two possible poles linked to success as capitalist alienation or failure as a bet for life in its qualitative dimension. At the same time, this framework of analysis allows us to redefine the importance of landscape and nature in the film from the affective dimension associated with queer childhood. |
| format | Online |
| id | oai:ojs.revistas.unc.edu.ar:article-44188 |
| institution | Universidad Nacional de Cordoba |
| language | spa |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | oai:ojs.revistas.unc.edu.ar:article-441882025-07-15T18:17:29Z The Return of the Living Dead. Queer Failure and Capitalism in Papu Curotto's Esteros El regreso de los muertos vivos. Fracaso queer y capitalismo en Esteros de Papu Curotto Rubino, Atilio cine queer argentino capitalismo mundial integrado fracaso queer infancias Argentine queer cinema integrated world capitalism queer failure childhoods This article analyzes the film Esteros (2016) by Papu Curotto (with script by Andi Nachón) through the notions of success and failure viewed as mechanisms of capitalism for the control of bodies, lives and subjectivities. The film shows the amorous reunion of the protagonists, now adults, after a sexual-affective relationship that was cut short in their childhood. In this way, the film alternates between two timelines and thus moves away from the idea of family homophobia or the environment as the reason for the separation of the lovers; on the contrary, it is precisely capitalism and the notion of success that generated the estrangement of the children, as well as a heteronormative adult life in the case of one of them. Hence, the zombie becomes a symbolic figure that runs through the whole film and alterns between two possible poles linked to success as capitalist alienation or failure as a bet for life in its qualitative dimension. At the same time, this framework of analysis allows us to redefine the importance of landscape and nature in the film from the affective dimension associated with queer childhood. Resumen Este artículo realiza una aproximación a la película Esteros (2016) de Papu Curotto (con guion de Andi Nachón) a partir de las nociones de éxito y fracaso pensadas como mecanismos del capitalismo para el control de cuerpos, vidas y subjetividades. La película propone el reencuentro amoroso de los protagonistas ya adultos luego de una relación sexo-afectiva que quedó trunca en la infancia. Alterna así dos tiempos y de ese modo se aleja del planteo de la homofobia familiar o del entorno como motivo de la separación de los amantes sino que, por el contrario, es justamente el capitalismo y el dispositivo del éxito el que genera la separación de los niños y una vida adulta heteronormativa en el caso de uno de ellos. De este modo, el zombi deviene una figura simbólica que recorre toda la cinta y se tensiona en dos polos posibles vinculados al éxito como alienación capitalista o al fracaso como una apuesta por la vida en su dimensión cualitativa. Al mismo tiempo, este marco de análisis permite redefinir la importancia del paisaje y la naturaleza en la película a partir de la dimensión afectiva asociada a la infancia queer. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad 2025-07-15 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Artículo revisado por pares application/pdf text/html https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/44188 10.55441/1668.7515.n35.44188 Astrolabio; No. 35 (2025): Julio - Diciembre: Temática libre; 223-248 Astrolabio; Núm. 35 (2025): Julio - Diciembre: Temática libre; 223-248 Astrolabio; n. 35 (2025): Julio - Diciembre: Temática libre; 223-248 1668-7515 10.55441/1668.7515.n35 spa https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/44188/49697 https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/44188/49718 Derechos de autor 2025 Atilio Rubino https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 |
| spellingShingle | cine queer argentino capitalismo mundial integrado fracaso queer infancias Argentine queer cinema integrated world capitalism queer failure childhoods Rubino, Atilio The Return of the Living Dead. Queer Failure and Capitalism in Papu Curotto's Esteros |
| title | The Return of the Living Dead. Queer Failure and Capitalism in Papu Curotto's Esteros |
| title_alt | El regreso de los muertos vivos. Fracaso queer y capitalismo en Esteros de Papu Curotto |
| title_full | The Return of the Living Dead. Queer Failure and Capitalism in Papu Curotto's Esteros |
| title_fullStr | The Return of the Living Dead. Queer Failure and Capitalism in Papu Curotto's Esteros |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Return of the Living Dead. Queer Failure and Capitalism in Papu Curotto's Esteros |
| title_short | The Return of the Living Dead. Queer Failure and Capitalism in Papu Curotto's Esteros |
| title_sort | return of the living dead queer failure and capitalism in papu curotto s esteros |
| topic | cine queer argentino capitalismo mundial integrado fracaso queer infancias Argentine queer cinema integrated world capitalism queer failure childhoods |
| topic_facet | cine queer argentino capitalismo mundial integrado fracaso queer infancias Argentine queer cinema integrated world capitalism queer failure childhoods |
| url | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/44188 |
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