Violated Frames: Armando Bo and Isabel Sarli's Sexploits

Armando Bó and Isabel Sarli made sexploitation films in 1956 that featured explicit nudity and challenged contemporary norms. Their films developed a large and international fan base, and Victoria Ruétalo explores these films through the lens of bodies engaged in labor and leisure in a context of growing censorship. Under Perón, manual labor produced a specific type of body to the populist movement of Peronism, and the excesses of leisure in exhibition, enjoyment, and ecstasy in Bó and Sarli's films interrupted the already fragmented film narratives of the day and created alternative sexual possibilities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 22 March 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

In 1956, Armando Bó and Isabel Sarli embarked on a groundbreaking journey in the world of sexploitation films, daring to push the boundaries of societal norms with their explicit nudity. Their Argentine films quickly gained a massive and international fan base, captivating audiences with their audacious portrayal of sexuality. In their book "Violated Frames," the authors delve into the analysis of the couple's films and the subsequent censorship that shaped their work. Through a meticulous reconstruction of relocated materials, they engage in a lively debate about performance, authorship, stardom, sexuality, and circulation.

Victoria Ruétalo contextualizes Bó and Sarli's films within the vibrant landscape of post-1955 Argentina, exploring their themes through the lens of bodies engaged in labor and leisure amidst a growing climate of censorship. She sheds light on the impact of manual labor during the Peronist movement, which solidified a specific type of body as a symbol of the populist movement. Bó and Sarli's films, with their excesses of leisure and exploration of exhibition, enjoyment, and ecstasy, disrupted the traditional narratives of the day and offered alternative sexual possibilities.

Their boldness in depicting explicit nudity and challenging societal norms paved the way for future generations of filmmakers and artists, who continue to explore the complexities of sexuality and gender in their work. "Violated Frames" serves as a valuable contribution to the study of sexploitation films and their impact on popular culture, providing a fresh perspective on the work of Bó and Sarli and their contribution to the evolving landscape of cinematic expression.

Weight: 464g
Dimension: 156 x 236 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520380080