The Art and Politics of Bolivian Cinema

Book excerpt: In Bolivia, politics have always shaped art, particularly when it comes to film. This book presents Bolivia's most significant filmmakers largely in their own words. Since 1981, José Sánchez-H. has personally interviewed most of the filmmakers featured and has consistently maintained a commitment to rigorous scholarship and attention to new developments. One of the first studies in English on Bolivian cinema, this work provides the non-Bolivian with important information about Bolivian cinema and its cultural and political context. The chapters flow from a broad profile of the country and its history through a chronological presentation of the history of Bolivian cinema to careful treatments of important films, filmmakers, and periods in Bolivian film history. Filmmakers treated include Antonio Eguino, Jorge Sanjines, Jorge Ruiz, Marcos Loayza, Paolo Agazzi, and Oscar Soria. Sanchez-H. includes information about every aspect of the cinema including the music. Appendixes include a chronology of the films and political events, a list of awards won by Bolivian films, and useful addresses.