09 · 30 · 09

Book on Theory and Practice of Adaptation Presented

Administrador

Although the author was unable to attend the presentation due to health problems, Florencia Talavera, translator of the book, spoke at the event. She defined the work as “a didactic text which stands on its own in spite of being an adaptation.”

Zavala read a text he wrote about Stam’s book which he described as “a contribution to film theory because his ideas go beyond the classic theory of literary adaptation. In synthesis, we find a brilliant definition which he calls in his conclusion the loving exchange of textual flows in contemporary culture.”

The president of Sepancine emphasized the necessity of avoiding comparisons between literary and cinematographic language since they are different semiotic systems. “Studies should be analyzed of the different adaptations that have been made into film from the same text,” he said.

Theory and Practice of Adaptation, edited by UNAM, is an introduction to the two collective texts coordinated by Robert Stam and Alexandra Raengo in which more than 30 analysts study cases of film adaptation. According to Zavala, Stam’s main thesis affirms that “every film, in one way or other, is an adaptation because it adapts to film stories that have a literary, historic, biographic, journalistic, testimonial, theatrical or cinematographic origin.”