Gendered dermographies: Caresses and touch in the films of Ventura Pons

This article examines the role of touch and caresses in Ventura Pons’s films, focusing on their significance in intergenerational relationships, gender dynamics and sexuality. Through an analysis of several films of Ventura Pons: Carícies ( Caresses ), Food of Love and Barcelona ( un mapa ) ( Barcelona [ A Map ]), it explores how tactile interactions convey themes of affection, nostalgia and power imbalances. Drawing on feminist theories by Luce Irigaray, Sara Ahmed and Karen Barad, the article highlights the contrasting representations of feminine and masculine caresses: while feminine touches often embody maternal care or erotic openness, masculine caresses tend towards possessiveness and objectification. The films reflect societal shifts in post-Franco Spain, addressing urban alienation, familial disintegration and the liberation of repressed desires. Pons’s work reveals a tension between isolation and connection, with touch serving as a medium for both intimacy and control. The study underscores how Pons challenges social conventions, portraying intergenerational relationships as sites of complexity, where erotic and familial bonds intertwine. Ultimately, the article positions Pons’s cinema as a poignant exploration of human vulnerability, longing and the transformative power of touch.