A Companion to Chilean Cinema

The first comprehensive study - in English or Spanish - of Chilean cinema. Chilean cinema is gaining increased global attention and recognition, thanks to recent international awards, participation in international film festivals and increased accessibility through streaming platforms. Integrating film studies, cultural studies and historiography, this book brings together scholars from North America, South America, Europe, and Oceania to provide a comprehensive introduction to Chilean cinema in the English language for a broad range of readers, both those who may be unfamiliar with the topic as well as specialists interested in learning more. The first part of the book is dedicated to a critical look at key moments in Chilean cinema, from the documentary shorts and silent films of the early twentieth century to the New Chilean Cinema of the 1960s to current trends in the twenty-first century, moving readers chronologically through the beginning of the Chilean film industry to more recent productions. The second section offers an in-depth look at directors of interest (Raúl Ruiz, Ignacio Agüero, Alicia Scherson, Pablo Larraín, Sebastián Lelio). The third and final section finishes with case studies on specific topics (class representation, the effects of the military dictatorship (1973-1990), women documentarians, militarized masculinity, historical revisionism, environmental concerns, and migrant representation) to propose new directions for Chilean film study. Each chapter, including the introduction, supplies a list of suggested further readings for those interested.