With the recent shift in Cuba-US relations stemming from the relaxing of travel restrictions and an influx of American visitors, interest in Cuba and its culture has increased substantially. A new emphasis has been placed on the island country's many cultural and artistic achievements, specifically in film. Cuban cinema is recognized around the world as having produced some of the most celebrated works originating from Latin America--such as Fresa y Chocolate and La Muerte de un Burócrata--as well as many prominent artists--including directors Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Humberto Solás. In A Cuban Cinema Companion, editors Salvador Jimenez Murguía, Sean O'Reilly, and Amanda McMenamin have assembled a collection of essays about more than 100 films across six decades, including feature films, documentaries, and animation. These entries also provide information on directors, actresses, and actors of Cuban cinema. Entries range from films like Retrato de Teresa to Buena Vista Social Club and include descriptions of each film's plot, themes, and critical commentary, as well as comprehensive production details and brief suggestions for further reading. Beginning with the victory of the Cuban revolution--from the first ten years of what is often referred to as Cuba's "Golden Age" of film to the present--this volume offers readers valuable insights into Cuban history, politics, and culture. An indispensable guide to one of the great world cinemas, A Cuban Cinema Companion will be of interest to students, academics, and the general public alike.
About the Author: Salvador Jiménez Murguía is associate professor of sociology and Paul Orfalea Center Fellow in Global Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is the author of Encyclopedia of Japanese Horror Films (2016) and the coeditor of Encyclopedia of Contemporary Spanish Cinema (2018) and Encyclopedia of Racism in American Film (2018), all published by Rowman & Littlefield. Sean O'Reilly is a graduate of Harvard University's history and East Asian languages doctoral program. He is assistant professor of Japan studies at Akita International University. Amanda Eaton McMenamin is associate professor of Spanish at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. She has published a variety of scholarly journal articles, anthology pieces, and reference entries on the literary and cinematic cultures of Spain and Latin America. She is also coeditor of ReFocus: The Films of Carlos Reygadas.