A study led by the University will analyze the origins of the controversies sparked by Disney movies and recent Spanish films

A team led by the School of Communication University of Navarra will study how controversies surrounding diversity and representation in audiovisual fiction arise, evolve, and gain traction. The REFIGURAproject ct is funded by the State Agency for research under the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities’ call for “ knowledge 2025” projects.

“Our hypothesis holds that many identity struggles in audiovisual fiction arise not only from a clash of values, but also from an intensification of interpretive conflicts caused by failures in aesthetic mediation,” explains Alberto Nahum García, a professor at the School of Communication , and the principal researcher r of project.

The initiative will assess whether some of the backlash faced by certain films and series can be explained not only by ideological disagreements, but also by issues related to how the story is told or how the work has been promoted: discrepancies between what the marketing campaign promises and what the work actually delivers, or inconsistencies in its narrative structure. In other words, it will examine the impact of aesthetic mediation on cultural controversies in the audiovisual sphere.

To test this hypothesis, the team will compare three elements of each work: the promise made by the official promotion, the form of the work, and the audience’s response. In their analysis of the work, the researchers will look for three types of fractures: narrative inconsistencies, emotional dissonances, and disruptions in the audience’s identification with the characters. They will then examine whether the audience detects, discusses, or amplifies these fractures in public discourse.

The study will compare 10 to 12 Disney productions released between 2015 and 2025—such as the live-action versions of *The Little Mermaid* and *Snow White*—with two or three Spanish films that have sparked discussion due to issues of representation, diversity, or historical accuracy.

model s for the Industry

Based on these results, REFIGURA will develop a model for assessment to proactively detect discrepancies in the development and identify content that could trigger adverse reactions or damage the company’s image. The model will be test with professionals from the Spanish audiovisual sector, such as Ramón Campos, executive producer at Bambú Producciones.

project also seeks to make a social impact. Identifying which formal aspects of a work underlie many controversies can help clarify the terms of disagreement in public discussion and develop media literacy resources.

The team includes researchers from the University of Navarra, Rey Juan Carlos University, the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Francisco de Vitoria University, Carlos III University, the University of Queensland, and Queensland University of Technology (Australia). The Institute for data , and Artificial Intelligence (DATAI) at the University of Navarra will provide technical and computational support.