Catalan Cinema: The Barcelona Film School and the New Avant-Garde

Catalan Cinema explores the relationship between Catalan cinema and the Escola de Barcelona, a group of directors who drew inspiration from British pop-art, Free Cinema, and the Nouvelle Vague to create works that challenged the Franco dictatorship. It highlights the aesthetic, social, and political elements of Catalan cinematography and questions if Catalan cinemas push for self-expression may be interpreted as a connection to Catalonias current drive for independence.

Format: Hardback
Length: 370 pages
Publication date: 10 April 2024
Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Catalan Cinema provides a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the most significant cinematic works from Catalonia in the past twenty years. Through a series of essays, the collection delves into the relationship between cinema and the Escola de Barcelona, a group of filmmakers who were inspired by British pop-art, Free Cinema, and the Nouvelle Vague to create groundbreaking works that defied and challenged the Franco dictatorship. The essays explore the aesthetic, social, and political dimensions of Catalan cinematography, highlighting the similarities between young directors and established masters such as Joaquim Jordà, Jacinto Esteva, Jordi Grau, and Pere Portabella. Catalan Cinema emphasizes the importance of modern production and its connection to the avant-garde and underground cinema of the Barcelona School. By tracing a cinematic lineage, the volume raises the question of whether Catalan cinema's pursuit of self-expression can be seen as a reflection of Catalonia's current quest for independence.

Weight: 724g
Dimension: 161 x 238 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781487544508