Cuban Film Media, Late Socialism, and the Public Sphere

Imperfect Aesthetics

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Performing Arts, Film
Cover of the book Cuban Film Media, Late Socialism, and the Public Sphere by Nicholas Balaisis, Palgrave Macmillan US
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Nicholas Balaisis ISBN: 9781137584311
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan US Publication: December 7, 2016
Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan Language: English
Author: Nicholas Balaisis
ISBN: 9781137584311
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan US
Publication: December 7, 2016
Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan
Language: English

This book maps the aesthetic experience of late socialism through Cuban film and media practice. It shows how economic and material scarcity as well as political uncertainty is expressed aesthetically in films from the period following the collapse of the Soviet Union, a characteristic described as imperfect aesthetics. The films examined in the book draw attention to the unique temporal experience of late socialism, a period marked both by rapid change and frustrating stasis, nostalgia for Cuba’s past and anxiousness about its future. Aesthetic modes such as melodrama and irony, and stylistic elements such as direct address and the long take, communicate the temporal experience of late socialism in Cuba, where new global traffic and a globalizing economy co-exist with iconic socialist features of the Cuban revolution. Film aesthetics constitute an important public dimension within this context, serving as a site of political and cultural critique amidst political uncertainty. In examining large-scale international co-productions as well as regional film collectives and amateur media making, the book traces the aesthetic continuities between contemporary film practices and those of the immediate post-revolutionary period, showing how the Cuban revolution continues to be an important touchstone for contemporary Cuban filmmakers in the face of new and imminent change. 

 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book maps the aesthetic experience of late socialism through Cuban film and media practice. It shows how economic and material scarcity as well as political uncertainty is expressed aesthetically in films from the period following the collapse of the Soviet Union, a characteristic described as imperfect aesthetics. The films examined in the book draw attention to the unique temporal experience of late socialism, a period marked both by rapid change and frustrating stasis, nostalgia for Cuba’s past and anxiousness about its future. Aesthetic modes such as melodrama and irony, and stylistic elements such as direct address and the long take, communicate the temporal experience of late socialism in Cuba, where new global traffic and a globalizing economy co-exist with iconic socialist features of the Cuban revolution. Film aesthetics constitute an important public dimension within this context, serving as a site of political and cultural critique amidst political uncertainty. In examining large-scale international co-productions as well as regional film collectives and amateur media making, the book traces the aesthetic continuities between contemporary film practices and those of the immediate post-revolutionary period, showing how the Cuban revolution continues to be an important touchstone for contemporary Cuban filmmakers in the face of new and imminent change. 

 

More books from Palgrave Macmillan US

Cover of the book American Authorship and Autobiographical Narrative by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book Conjugality by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book Art and Life in Modernist Prague by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book Engaged Learning in the Academy by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book The Worldview of Redemptive Violence in the US by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book Perspectives on Interculturality by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book Mary I by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book The Myth of Indigenous Caribbean Extinction by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book Human Rights Trade-Offs in Times of Economic Growth by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book A Critical Theology of Genesis by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book Repression and Realism in Post-War American Literature by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book Teaching America to the World and the World to America by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book The Defective Art of Poetry by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book Dependent Agency in the Global Health Regime by Nicholas Balaisis
Cover of the book Toward a Sociobiological Hermeneutic by Nicholas Balaisis
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy