This title fills a gap in the reference literature on South American cinema. Its scope is wider than Timothy Barnard and Peter Rist’s edited South American Cinema: A Critical Filmography, 1915-1994 (1996) or Luis Trelles Plazaola’s older but unrevised South American Cinema: Dictionary of Film Makers (1989), which focus on films and film directors, respectively. On the other hand, it is more narrowly focused than Scott Baugh’s Latino American Cinema: An Encyclopedia of Movies, Stars, Concepts, and Trends, which spans Latino cinema in the US and in South America. Rist covers South America only, but comprehensively, with material not only on films and directors, but also on performers, producers, film festivals, genres, and organizations. Included is an impressive chronology, arranged by year and then by country. Also featured is a valuable overview of South American cinema in the introduction and in the literature review preceding the thorough bibliography. The bibliography, geographically arranged after a 'General' section, covers books, articles, online articles, and websites, mainly in English, but also in French, Spanish, and Portuguese. A title index facilitates research on individual films. These enhancements, in addition to the wealth of information provided in the dictionary entries, should make this the go-to ready-reference title for its topic. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-level undergraduates and above.

Choice Reviews

This new volume in the venerable Historical Dictionary of Literature and the Arts series seeks to promote the important contributions of South American films to the culture of world cinema. Peter H. Rist of Concordia University in Montreal brings years of research and film viewing to bear on over 300 entries discussing South American films, directors, producers, and performers. He discusses films from the 12 Spanish-speaking nations and Brazil (Portuguese) of the continent . . . [H]e includes only films produced in the region primarily for local audiences [and] he includes historical films (back to the late nineteenth century) intended for broader Spanish-speaking audiences. Each entry is cross-referenced and designed for efficiency. Entries for directors include biography, filmography, and critical commentary. A number of landmark films receive their own entry with a plot summary, notes on critical reception, and other contextual information. The volume includes a chronology, extensive bibliography (organized by nation), and index of titles. The text is quite readable and includes indigenous-language films as well as a short but helpful entry on the rise of women in the industry. Historical Dictionary of South American Cinema succeeds in encapsulating over 100 years of film production that is largely overlooked in general film histories. It covers a number of genres, including animation, art and popular film, documentaries, and regional favorites such as tango films. It can help round out a cinema and film criticism or history collection.

American Reference Books Annual

The preface of this historical dictionary states that 'This book is an attempt to raise regard for SouthAmerican cinema to the level of that accorded the cinemas of the United States and countries in Europe', a worthy challenge and elegantly executed. Covering more than a dozen countries...and several languages, the work reaches back to the late 1890s for a truly historic and much-needed examination of the cinema of this region.....[T]he Historical Dictionary of South American Cinema is highly recommended for film studies, Latin American studies, international studies and general reference collections.

Reference Reviews