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31 - The American Essay Film: A Neglected Genre

from Part IV - Toward the Contemporary American Essay (2000–2020)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2024

By
Nora M. Alter
Edited by
Christy Wampole  and
Jason Childs
Christy Wampole
Affiliation:
Princeton University, New Jersey
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Summary

The essay film in the United States has not been thoroughly investigated, even if it has existed in the US cinematic landscape from the earliest years throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century. Beginning with early theories of the essay film that emerged from Europe, the chapter explores the relationships between American essay film and bordering forms like documentary, art film, and experimental cinema. The final pages of the chapter analyze the contributions of filmmakers belonging to the LA Rebellion and influenced by Third Cinema and conclude with a mention of newer forms like the video essay and desktop documentary.

Keywords

essay filmcinemaexperimentationdocumentarycaméra-styloThird CinemaLA RebellionArthur Jafa
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge History of the American Essay , pp. 527 - 544
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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