Tuberculosis in Cinematic Narratives: Architectural Spaces and Socio-Spatial Constructs

Pulmonary tuberculosis has been a prominent representation of illness in theater and cinema since the beginning of the nineteenth century. Despite the growing understanding of tuberculosis as a contagious disease during the bacteriological era, the theater and cinema primarily emphasized its representational advantages. Rather than focusing on propaganda and documentary films, these mediums found tuberculosis to be a convenient element for “romantic storytelling” due to its suitability for dramatic portrayal. Furthermore, the primary architectural typology for convalescence for tuberculosis patients, known as sanatoria, also served as exceptional film sets due to their anti-urban features that evoke a sense of “voyage” for the audience. This study thus analyzes three films that explore the medico-social reflections of tuberculosis on the mid-twentieth century healthcare architecture which are also noted for their exploration of tuberculosis, focusing on its cinematic benefits such as “easy acting,” “romantic storytelling” and “visual and spatial aesthetics.” These films also make use of the sanatoria facilities’ venues, spaces, and architecture to create visually appealing and spatially engaging aesthetics. These films are Una Breve Vacanza (A Brief Vacation, Vittorio De Sica, 1973), Učitel Tance (The Dance Teacher, Jaromil Jireš, 1995), and Kelebeğin Rüyası (A Butterfly’s Dream, Yılmaz Erdoğan, 2013). These films not only convey information about the disease and the locations where patients recovered in three different global sanatoria cases, but also serve as valuable archival documents by offering insights into the socio-spatiality of the disease in architecture and cinema.