The Rise of Central American Film in the Twenty-First Century

How

an overlooked film industry became a cinematic force



The first book in English dedicated to the

study of Central American film, this volume explores the main trends, genres,

and themes that define this emerging industry. The seven nations of the region

have seen an unprecedented growth in film production during the twenty-first century

with the creation of over 200 feature-length films compared with just one in

the 1990s. This volume provides a needed overview of one of the least explored

cinemas in the world.



In these essays, various scholars of film and cultural studies from

around the world provide insights into the continuities and discontinuities between

twentieth- and twenty-first-century cinematic production on the isthmus. They discuss

how political, social, and environmental factors, along with new production modes

and aesthetics, have led to a corpus of films that delve into issues of the

past and present such as postwar memory, failed revolutions, trauma, migration,

popular culture, minority populations, and gender disparities.



From Salvadoran documentaries to Costa Rican comedies and Panamanian

sports films, the movies analyzed here demonstrate the region's flourishing

film industry and the diversity of approaches found within it. The Rise of Central

American Film in the Twenty-First Century pays homage to an overlooked

cultural phenomenon and shows the importance of regional cinema studies.



Contributors: Liz Harvey-Kattou

Daniela Granja N??ez Carolina Sanabria Juan Carlos Rodr?guez Mar?a

Lourdes Cort?s J?lia Gonz?lez de Canales Carcereny Arno Jacob Argueta

Tom?s Arce Mairena Dr. Mauricio Espinoza Lilia Garc?a Torres Dr. Jared

List Patricia Arroyo Calder?n Esteban E. Loustaunau H?ctor Fern?ndez

L'Hoeste Juan Pablo G?mez Lacayo Jennifer Carolina G?mez Menj?var



A volume in the series Reframing Media, Technology, and Culture in

Latin/o America, edited by H?ctor Fern?ndez L'Hoeste and Juan Carlos Rodr?guez



Publication of this work made possible by a

Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant from the

National Endowment for the Humanities.