The performance of the Austin indie scene in "Slacker": from the body of a scene to the body of a generation

"Slacker" (1991) by Richard Linklater is considered a milestone in American independent cinema (King 2005). The film is entirely shot on location in Austin, Texas, mainly in the area of the Drag. Its 24-hour narration of city life has specific features: a script conceived as a "Roadmap", with no main characters or turning points; members of the scene and film crew as non-professional actors; and local Austin music. This article explores the film's unique representation of the local indie scene and how its collective performance became emblematic of a generational phenomenon, thus shifting the culture discourse’s emphasis from space (Austin) to time (Generation X).