The Spanish quinqui film: Delinquency, sound, sensation

This is first English-language study of cine quinqui, a cycle of Spanish delinquent-themed films made in the 1970s and 1980s. Exploring how the films reflected the auditory experience of marginal youth cultures during this period, the book casts new light on the criminological, economic and political fault lines of Spain’s transition to democracy. ‘Written with verve, Whittaker’s study gives a shrewd account of cine quinqui as a register of the underside of Spain’s transition to democracy. The attention to what he calls the “soundscape of marginality” also makes it a valuable contribution to the emerging field of Spanish sound studies.’Jo Labanyi, Professor of Spanish, New York University'This brilliant study of the largely overlooked cycle of Spanish crime thrillers of the 1970s and 1980s makes a key contribution to the field of Spanish film studies and, in its careful attention to the aural as well as visual textures of the films, to sound studies more widely.' Sally Faulkner, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Film Studies, University of Exeter 'This resonant study couples the author’s groundbreaking work on sound in Spanish film with sharp sensitivity to the social history of a country in transition.' Chris Perriam, author of Stars and Masculinities in Spanish CinemaThis is the first English-language study of cine quinqui, a series of popular Spanish films made in the late 1970s and early 1980s that starred real-life juvenile delinquents. It provides a close analysis of films by directors such as Eloy de la Iglesia, José Antonio de la Loma and Carlos Saura, as well as examining the moral panics and media debates that surrounded their controversial production and reception. The book pays particular attention to the soundtracks of the films, showing how the marginal youth cultures that emerged during Spain’s transition to democracy were shaped by sound. Drawing on a diverse range of materials, from radio cassettes to criminological studies on delinquency, it provides a new social history of marginal communities whose voices have often gone unheard in studies of the transition to democracy. This is the first major study in English of cine quinqui, a cycle of popular Spanish films from the late 1970s and early 1980s that starred real-life juvenile delinquents. The book provides a close analysis of key quinqui films by directors such as Eloy de la Iglesia, José Antonio de la Loma and Carlos, as well as the moral panics, public fears and media debates that surrounded their controversial production and reception. In paying particular attention to the soundtrack of the films, the book shows how marginal youth cultures during Spain’s transition to democracy were shaped by sound. It will be of interest to scholars and students of Spanish film, history and cultural studies, and those working in sound studies and youth subcultures more broadly.