Anthropological analysis of functional diversity paradigms in cinema: a diachronic study of the transformation of models and stereotypes

Abstract

This study examines the representation of disability/functional diversity in cinema as a historically situated construction of social imaginaries, stereotypes, and disability paradigms. Drawing on Disability Studies, film studies, and non-disciplinary film anthropology, it analyses 105 feature-length fiction films released between the 1920s and the 2020s in which disability plays a significant narrative role. The study combines qualitative film content analysis with descriptive quantitative comparisons across decade, cinematic movement, genre, nationality, and type of disability. The results show a diachronic shift from exclusionary, eugenic, and medical-rehabilitative frameworks toward more social, relational, and subjective forms of representation. However, this evolution is not linear: the medical-rehabilitative model appears in 70 films and the social model in 63, often coexisting within the same film. Stereotypes also change over time. Explicitly stigmatising figures such as the villain or avenger become less frequent, while more socially valued figures, especially the noble warrior, the sage, and the superstar citizen, gain prominence. This suggests that stigma is not simply eliminated, but often reformulated through narratives of resilience, inspiration, or exceptional achievement. The findings also reveal persistent gender asymmetries, limited inclusive casting, and uneven narrative focalisation from disabled characters’ perspectives. Overall, contemporary cinema has moved toward more inclusive representations, but this transition remains incomplete.