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 Núñez Carolina Sanabria Juan Carlos Rodríguez María
Lourdes Cortés Júlia González de Canales Carcereny Arno Jacob Argueta
Tomás Arce Mairena Dr. Mauricio Espinoza Lilia García Torres Dr. Jared
List Patricia Arroyo Calderón Esteban E. Loustaunau Héctor Fernández
L'Hoeste Juan Pablo Gómez Lacayo Jennifer Carolina Gómez Menjívar

A volume in the series Reframing Media, Technology, and Culture in
Latin/o America, edited by Héctor Fernández L'Hoeste and Juan Carlos Rodríguez

Publication of this work made possible by a
Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant from the
National Endowment for the Humanities.