“Cinelandia” by Ramón Gómez de la Serna

 Ramón Gómez de la Serna (1888-1963) was a Spanish writer and a member of the Generation of

1914. His literary production was remarkably extensive, and he is very well known by his “greguerías” (a new genre that he invented).

“Cinelandia” was published in 1923. But, is it a novel? I like to believe so. The book tells the story of the city of Cinelandia, which actually is the main character. This place is a parody of Hollywood, CA. Cinelandia is a fake city created in order to produce movies. It was a huge film factory, to the point that became a real city. Emerson was the president/city major, and he can be considered as the head of the company. All movie stars lived there, and attracted everyone who wanted to become one. Like in Thomas More’s Utopia, the book explains how the city functions, its peculiarities and problems.

This book shows the impact that the film industry had on society during the first half of the 20th century. Hollywood became the heart of the movie industry with four major film companies: Paramount, Warner Bros., RKO, and Columbia. Ramón Gómez de la Serna deeply analyzed this phenomenon, paying special attention to the way this industry was affecting our society. He uses humor and parody to keep the reader entertained, while giving the opportunity to think critically. One question that rises after reading the book is: “Cinelandia” is a reflection of the world, or the other way around? Movies were inspired in reality, but at the same time had a huge influence on the World.

I found this book extremely helpful to understand how the film industry was perceived at the time. Movies were made for the entire World, and that makes Cinelandia a cosmopolitan film factory.