Companion Encyclopedia of Middle Eastern and North African Film

by Oliver Leaman

"Cinema has played a significant part in Middle Eastern culture for a long time, but has yet to receive the attention which it deserves. In particular, the richness and complexity of the various cultural traditions which exist in this region require exploration and analysis, and it is the purpose of this book to address these issues. The Companion Encyclopedia of Middle Eastern and North African Film is divided into nine area chapters, each written by a leading scholar in the field. Each chapter covers the history and the major issues of film within that area, as well as providing bibliographies of the leading films, directors and actors." "The chapters comment on how local political and economic events have impacted on the national filmic traditions, and the distinctness of those traditions emerges in the detail which is provided. A balance is kept between presenting precise facts about individual films and those working in and around them, and discussing the wider theoretical and pra