About the presentation: This presentation examines how combining films about memory with the photovoice method allows participants to express their experiences about historical events, creating alternative narratives that challenge official accounts. It focuses on Llosa’s film, The Milk of Sorrow, which illustrates how Quechuan women pass on their fears of sexual assault from the 1980s conflict to their children through breastfeeding. Utilizing film and photovoice legitimizes Quechuan women’s narratives in knowledge production, providing alternative insights into the Peruvian conflict and fostering creative interpretations through visual storytelling. Therefore, this study seeks to uncover alternative narratives and enhance engagement with non-traditional forms of knowledge, thereby enriching research methodologies and expanding historical inquiry. From a rhetorical standpoint, the presentation discusses how the film employs language, imagery, and narrative techniques to convey meaning and engage the audience. The findings reveal that participants express their experiences through metaphors like “the camouflaged body,” representing concealment, and “the masked body,” evoking memories of soldiers and guerrillas.
About the presenter: Nancy Gómez holds a Ph.D. in Communication specializing in Gender Studies and Rhetoric from Ohio University. She also earned a Master’s in Communication from Universidad del Norte. She serves as the Dean of the Division of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at Universidad del Norte. Her research interests include examining gender violence in media discourses and exploring the meanings associated with the female body in public and private spaces.