Directory Of World Cinema Belgium

the long version

Culturally and linguistically divided between the Dutch-speaking Flanders and the francophone Brussels and Wallonia, Belgium is a contested site. Nevertheless, its filmic output merits serious attention, as it boasts the highest number of film-makers per capita. 'Directory of World Cinema: Belgium' is the comprehensive guide it richly deserves. Featuring contributions from leading Belgian and international film scholars, the essays here examine the work and careers of the greatest names of Belgian cinema, from its pioneers to its modern age, while also investigating its intersections with Belgian art, history, literature and culture, as well as the legacies of social documentary, surrealism and magical realism. Belgium has for the last decade produced an average of forty feature films a year - an extraordinary accomplishment for a country of just ten million inhabitants - and has secured a place at the forefront of the international cinema scene.