New Galician (eco)Cinemac : landscape and identity

The term "New Galician Cinema," coined in 2010, remains prevalent in academic and everyday discourse. However, a growing number of voices question its applicability to recent works by Galician directors. This article aims to assess the established criteria for defining New Galician Cinema, reevaluating them in light of selected directors under this label. Additionally, it proposes a fresh perspective on the term. By referencing other "small cinemas" on the Iberian Peninsula, I highlight the distinctiveness of Galician cinema, particularly its innovative approach to landscape. Examining films by Lois Patño, Diana Toucedo, Oliver Laxe, and Álvaro Gago from a phenomenological standpoint, I explore the interplay between the community/individual and its/their natural surroundings. Ultimately, I position New Galician Cinema within the current trends of independent world cinema, characterizing it as a form of ecocinema.