(Un)known Madrid in the Cinema of Carlos Vermut. Parody, Identities, Districts and Edges

Abstract

This article addresses the representation of Madrid in the cinema of Carlos Vermut (Madrid, 1980). To this end, we consider four of his films: Maquetas (2009), Diamond Flash (2011), Magical Girl (2014) and Manticore (2022). This work analyses Vermut’s use of duality and intertextuality, incorporating references to Spanish identity and Asian culture, to produce a two distinct readings of his works. Madrid serves as a visual convention that reinforces the first reading and allows us to approach and empathize with Vermut’s characters while the second reading enriches the discourse through genre-modifying strategies that bring about a more fantastical re-interpretation of the story. In two of the films explored here, the filmmaker uses parody as a formal strategy. In all four, the director avoids the use of “landmarks”—in Lynch’s words—and avoids recurring to traditional cinema-farce. Vermut shows us a recognizable city, but one that is also completely different from its traditional representations in Spanish Cinema.