This paper analyzes the main reactions of the chilean dominant culture at the onset of film shows, in its first decade of deployment. The article argues that it's not enough to conceptualize these attitudes with the traditional change/ continuity pair (or impact/skepticism), introducing a new linchpin: the sociocultural conflict. It is proposed that the diffusion of cinema is marked by the confrontation between an elite who wanted to give the activity a civilizing character, and managers who, in the medium term, chose a recreational and festive use.