About the project
Collective memories of atrocities are often a fractured and disputed terrain. Medellin was in the 1980s and early 1990s one of the most violent cities in the world. This project examines the city’s understanding of its past and examines among other how TV and cinematic representations such as Narcos and other similar entertainment products generate collective memory and contribute to its evolution.
By narrating and re‐narrating the past the global entertainment industry is turning the history of violence into a profitable economy, visible also in the growth of dark tourism, and is thus shaping and reshaping not only the memories of the past but also the present nature of the city.
Method
The project examines various media representations of violence in Medellín, together with city tours and museums and attempts of citizens and city authorities of to create alternative stories and memories of the city.
It is based on fieldwork in Medellín, content analysis of relevant media representations, as well as interviews with the city’s inhabitants.
Funding
The project is funded by the University of Oslo.