In 1902, scientist and inventor Kazimierz Prószyński made the first Polish narrative film, The Return of a Merry Fellow. Since then, the Polish film industry has produced a diverse body of work, ranging from patriotic melodramas and epic adaptations of the national literary canon to Yiddish cinema and films portraying the corrupt side of communism. Poland has produced several internationally known films, including Andrzej Wajda’s war trilogy, A Generation (1955), Kanal (1957), and Ashes and Diamonds (1958); Roman Polański’s Knife in the Water (1962); and Andrzej Munk’s The Passenger (1963). Often performing specific political and cultural duties for their nation, Polish filmmakers were well aware of their role as educators, entertainers, social activists, and political leaders. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Polish Cinema fills the gap in film scholarship, presenting an extensive factual survey of Polish film. Through a chronology; an introductory essay; appendixes, a bibliography; and over 300 cross-referenced dictionary entries on films, directors, actors, producers, and film institutions, a balanced picture of the richness of Polish cinema is presented. Readers with professional interest in cinema will welcome this new work, which will enhance senior undergraduate or postgraduate courses in film studies.

Some say that telling the story of the Holocaust is impossible, yet, artists have told the story thousands of time since the end of World War II in novels, dramas, paintings, music, sculpture, and film. Over the past seven decades, hundreds of documentaries, narrative shorts and features, and television miniseries have confronted the horrors of the past, creating an easily recognized iconography of persecution and genocide. While it can be argued that film and television have a tendency to trivialize, using the artifacts of popular culture – film and literature – artists keep the past alive, ensuring that victims are not forgotten and the tragedy of the Holocaust is not repeated. The Historical Dictionary of Holocaust Cinema examines the history of how the Holocaust is presented in film, including documentaries, feature films, and television productions. It contains a chronology of events needed to give the films and their reception a historical context, an introductory essay, a bibliography, a filmography of more than 600 titles, and over 100 cross-referenced dictionary entries on films, directors, and historical figures. Foreign language films and experimental films are included, as well as canonical films. This book is a must for anyone interested in the scope of films on the Holocaust and also for scholars interested in investigating ideas for future research.

Taiwan was able to solidly build and sustain a film industry only after locally-produced Mandarin films secured markets in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia during the 1960s and 1970s. Though only a small island with a limited population, in its heyday, Taiwan was among the top-10 film producing countries/areas in the world, turning out hundreds of martial arts kung fu films and romantic melodramas annually that were screened in theaters across Southeast Asia and other areas internationally. However, except for one acclaimed film by director King Hu, Taiwan cinema was nearly invisible on the art cinema map until the 1980s, when the films of Hou Hsiao-hsien, Edward Yang, and other Taiwan New Cinema directors gained recognition at international film festivals, first in Europe, and later, throughout the world. Since then, many other Taiwan directors have also become an important part of cinema history, such as Ang Lee and Tsai Ming-liang. The Historical Dictionary of Taiwan Cinema covers the history of cinema in Taiwan during both the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945) and the Chinese Nationalist period (1945-present). This is accomplished through a chronology highlighting the main events during the long period and an introduction which carefully analyses the progression. The bulk of the information, however, appears in a dictionary section including over a hundred very extensive entries on directors, producers, performers, films, film studios and genres. Photos are also included in the dictionary section. More information can be found through the bibliography. Taiwan cinema is truly unique and this book is a good place to find out more about it, whether you are a student, or teacher, or just a fan.

The Historical Dictionary of Scandinavian Cinema covers the history of the Nordic countries through a chronology, introductory essays on each country, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 400 cross-referenced entries on major persons and films, pan-Sc...

Motion pictures were first introduced to China in 1896 and today China has become a major player in the film industry. However, the story of how Chinese cinema became what it is today is an exceptionally turbulent one. It encompasses incursions by foreign powers, warfare among contending rulers, the collapse of the Chinese empire, and the massive setback of the Cultural Revolution. The Historical Dictionary of Chinese Cinema covers the history of Chinese cinema from its very beginning in 1896 to the present. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section contains several hundred cross-referenced dictionary entries on films, directors, and historical figures. This book is an excellent access point for anyone interested in Chinese cinema and for scholars interested in investigating ideas for future research.

Horror is one of the most enduring and controversial of all cinematic genres. Horror films range from subtle and poetic to graphic and gory, but what links them together is their ability to frighten, disturb, shock, provoke, delight, irritate, and amuse audiences. Horror’s capacity to take the form of our evolving fears and anxieties has ensured not only its notoriety but also its long-term survival and international popularity. This second edition has been comprehensively updated to capture all that is important and exciting about the horror genre as it exists today. Its new entries feature the creative personalities who have developed innovative forms of horror, and recent major films and cycles of films that ensure horror’s continuing popularity and significance. In addition, many of the other entries have been expanded to include reference to the contemporary scene, giving a clear picture of how horror cinema is constantly renewing and transforming itself. The Historical Dictionary of Horror Cinema traces the development of the genre from its beginnings to the present. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries. The entries cover all major movie villains, including Frankenstein and his monsters, the vampire, the werewolf, the mummy, the zombie, the ghost and the serial killer; film directors, producers, writers, actors, cinematographers, make-up artists, special-effects technicians, and composers who have helped shape horror history; significant production companies; major films that are milestones in the development of the horror genre; and different national traditions in horror cinema – as well as popular themes, formats, conventions, and cycles.

From capsule descriptions/assessments of individual feature films to extended essays on areas such as Irish animation, short film, experimental film and documentary production along with discussion of a wide range of key creative and administrative personnel, the Dictionary combines a breath of existing scholarship with extensive new information and research carried out especially for this volume. It is the definitive guide to Irish cinema in the 21st century. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Irish Cinema contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on key Irish actors, directors, producers and other personnel from over a century of Irish film history. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Irish Cinema.

Historical Dictionary of Spanish Cinema covers Spanish cinema, its treasures its constant attempts to break through internationally, reaching out towards universal themes and conventions, and the specific obstacles and opportunities that have shaped the careers of filmmakers and stars. This book contains a chronology, an introduction, an appendix and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 200 cross-referenced entries on titles, movements, filmmakers and performers, and genres (such as homosexuality, nuevo cine español or horror). This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Spanish cinema.

British cinema has been around from the very birth of motion pictures, from black-and-white to color, from talkies to sound, and now 3D, it has been making a major contribution to world cinema. Many of its actors and directors have stayed at home but others ventured abroad, like Charlie Chaplin and Alfred Hitchcock. Today it is still going strong, the only real competition to Hollywood, turning out films which appeal not only to Brits, just think of Bridget Jones, while busily adding to franchises like James Bond and Harry Potter. So this Historical Dictionary of British Cinema has a lot of ground to cover. This it does with over 300 dictionary entries informing us about significant actors, producers and directors, outstanding films and serials, organizations and studios, different films genres from comedy to horror, and memorable films, among other things. Two appendixes provide lists of award-winners. Meanwhile, the chronology covers over a century of history. These parts provide the details, countless details, while the introduction offers the big story. And the extensive bibliography points toward other sources of information.

The Historical Dictionary of South American Cinema covers the long history of cinema in Portuguese-speaking Brazil and the nine Spanish-speaking countries. These films include Los tres berretines, Prisioneros de la tierra, La balandra Isabel llegó esta tarde, La hora de los hornos, El chacal de Nahueltoro, La teta asustada, Abrir puertas y ventanas, El secreto de sus ojos, and NO. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced dictionary entries on directors, producers, performers, films, film studios and genres. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the South American Cinema.