The Cinema of the Low Countries

"The Cinema of the Low Countries" is a volume in the new "24 Frames" series of studies of national and regional cinema. In taking an explicitly text-centered approach, the books in this series offer a unique way of considering the particular concerns, styles and modes of representation of numerous national cinemas around the world by focussing on twenty-four films from the country or region under consideration. This volume concentrates on the practice and reception of film from the Low Countries: The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg. Films of the Low Countries have long been regarded as isolated texts. This book points to the interconnectedness between Low Countries films from different genres, regions, languages and formats, considering their national and international importance. Building on each film's relationship with its particular cultural context, the volume presents twenty-four especially commisioned essays by renowned writers, each one focusing on one key film. The volume covers the work of internationally acclaimed directors such as Joris Ivens, Henri Storck, Paul Verhoeven and the Dardenne Brothers. Key films discussed include "Turkish Delight, The Vanishing, Daughters of Darkness, Character, Rosetta" and "Man Bites Dog."