Transnational Cinema: An Introduction

Steven Rawle's book, Transnational Cinema: An Introduction, provides a comprehensive overview of the emerging field of transnational film studies. The author examines how cinema has moved beyond clear national boundaries, becoming a product of cross-border financing and creative personnel.

Key Concepts and Theories

The book brings together the key concepts and theories of transnational cinema, including:

Transnational articulations of genres

Remakes

Diasporic and exilic cinema

The limits of thinking about cinema as a national cultural artefact

Challenging the Centrist Model

Rawle challenges the dichotomous "us-vs.-them" approach and instead foregrounds localised and hybrid forms in his investigation. He devotes considerable space to this aspect in chapters on transnational articulations of genres, remakes, Third and postcolonial cinema, as well as exilic and diasporic cinema.

Transnational Cinema vs. National Cinemas

The author argues that the study of transnational cinema supplements, rather than replaces, the idea of national cinemas. National cinemas remain important, but the 'trans-' prefix denotes thinking about how cinema crosses and transcends national boundaries.

Conclusion

Transnational Cinema: An Introduction is an excellent course companion for undergraduate students of film, cinema, media and cultural studies studying transnational and global cinema. It provides a strong grounding in this timely field of film studies for both students and lovers of film alike