The effect of social traumas on the use of space in Greek New Wave Cinema

The evolution of cinema into a socially responsive art form is closely linked to its ability to react to social, cultural, and political changes worldwide. In the history of cinema, it is evident that collective productions emerge in response to traumatic experiences that deeply affect societies. These productions, influenced by various wars, crises, and social events, are referred to as "movements" and are named according to the country of origin. In this context, the primary focus of this study is the Greek New Wave Cinema, considered one such movement. The relationship between this movement, termed 'Greek New Wave Cinema' by critics, and social traumas will be examined from a spatial perspective. The first section of the study aims to explain the concepts of social memory and trauma and to elucidate their relationship with cinema. These explanations are grounded in research from the fields of psychology and sociology. The second section explores one of the main concepts of the study, 'space.' A theoretical framework is established to investigate the relationship between space, the audience, and society, and how space is connected to cinema. The third section provides a detailed semiotic analysis of the films 'Dogtooth,' 'Miss Violence,' 'L,' and 'Chevalier' within the context of social traumas and space. This section aims to illuminate and exemplify the relationship between social traumas and cinematic movements by including references to various cinematic movements. By examining the development of the Greek New Wave Cinema, considered a young cinematic movement, this study investigates its relationship with social traumas and explains how these traumas have spatially influenced Greek New Wave Cinema through the selected films. Keywords: Social Trauma, Greek New Wave, Space, Movements in Cinema.