The first volume of the Directory of World Cinema: Britain provided an overview of British cinema from its earliest days to the present. In this, the second volume, the contributors focus on specific periods and trace the evolutions of individual genres and directors. A complementary edition rather than an update of its predecessor, the book offers essays on war and family films, as well as on LGBT cinema and representations of disability in British films. Contributors consider established British directors such as Ken Loach and Danny Boyle as well as newcomer Ben Wheatley, who directed the fabulously strange A Field in England. This volume also shines the spotlight on the British Film Institute and its role in funding, preservation, and education in relation to British cinema. A must read for any fan of film, the history of the United Kingdom, or international artistic traditions, Directory of World Cinema: Britain 2 will find an appreciative audience both within and outside academia.

With a focus on the most successful, cerebral and critically important films to have come out of Britain, this volume explores the diversity of and genres found throughout British film, highlighting important regional variations that reflect the distinctive cultures of the countries involved.

Working at the intersection of religion and ever-shifting political, economic and social environments, Iranian cinema has produced some of the most critically lauded films in the world today. The first volume in the Directory of World Cinema: Iran turned the spotlight on the award-winning cinema of Iran, with particular attention to the major genres and movements, historical turning points and prominent figures that have helped shape it. Considering a wide range of genres, including Film Farsi, New Wave, war film, art house film and women’s cinema, the book was greeted with enthusiasm by film studies scholars, students working on alternative or national cinema and fans and aficionados of Iranian film. Building on the momentum and influence of its predecessor, Directory of World Cinema: Iran 2 will be welcomed by all seeking an up-to-date and comprehensive guide to Iranian cinema.

Scotland, its people and its history have long been a source of considerable fascination and inspiration for filmmakers, film scholars and film audiences worldwide. A significant number of critically acclaimed films made in the last twenty-five years have ignited passionate conversations and debates about Scottish national cinema. Its historical, industrial and cultural complexities and contradictions have made it all the more a focus of attention and interest for both popular audiences and scholarly critics. Directory of World Cinema: Scotland provides an introduction to many of Scottish cinema’s most important and influential themes and issues, films and filmmakers, while adding to the ongoing discussion concerning how to make sense of Scotland’s cinematic traditions and contributions. Chapters on filmmakers range from Murray Grigor to Ken Loach, and Gaelic filmmaking, radical and engaged cinema, production, finance and documentary are just a few of the topics explored. Film reviews range from popular box office hits such as Braveheart, and Trainspotting to lesser known but equally engaging independent and lower budget productions, such as Shell and Orphans. This book is both a stimulating and accessible resource for a wide range of readers interested in Scottish film.

The tradition of British realism has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, where films by directors such as Duane Hopkins, Joanna Hogg, Andrea Arnold, Shane Meadows and Clio Barnard have suggested a markedly poetic turn. This new realism rejects the instrumentalism and didacticism of filmmakers like Ken Loach in favour of lyrical and often ambiguous encounters with place, where the physical processes of lived experience interacts with the rhythms of everyday life. Taking these 5 filmmakers as case studies, this book seeks to explore in depth this new tradition of British cinema - and in the process, it reignites debates over realism that have concerned scholars for decades.

Since the publication of the first volume of "Directory of World Cinema: China," the Chinese film industry has intensified its efforts to make inroads into the American market. The 2012 acquisition of US theater chain AMC and visual effects house Digital Domain by Chinese firms testifies to the global ambitions of China s powerhouse film industry. Yet Chinese cinema has had few crossover hits in recent years to match the success of such earlier films as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon;""House of Flying Daggers;"and "Kung Fu Hustle." Yet even overseas revenue for Chinese movies has dwindled, domestic market growth has surged year after year. Indeed, annual production output remains healthy, and the daily expansion of screens in second-or third-tier cities attracts audiences whose tastes favor domestic films over foreign imports. A survey of a vibrantand expandingindustry, "Directory of World Cinema: China 2" examines, among other themes, China s desire for success and fulfillment in the United States, as well as the extensive history of representing Chinaand the Chinese in Americaon US movie screens. With contributions from some of the leading academics in the field, this volume will be essential reading for all fans of Chinese film."