Description
Dictionary of Feature Films
Book Summary
This dictionary compiles and analyzes the 883 sound feature films produced by the Catalan film industry between 1930 and 1975, a period marked by the Republic, the Civil War, and the Franco regime. The work provides technical and artistic data sheets, plots, and commentary for each film, revealing how Catalan production was conditioned by its political dependence on the Spanish State. It is an essential resource for understanding the evolution of cinema in Catalonia during key decades, complementing the volume dedicated to the post-Franco period.
What is it about?
The book exhaustively collects all sound feature films produced by companies based in Catalonia and by Catalan directors abroad from 1930 to 1975. The work is structured as a dictionary that includes a technical sheet for each film (direction, production, screenplay, cinematography, music, editing, and cast), a summary of the plot, and a critical commentary. The period spans from the adoption of sound cinema to the end of the Franco dictatorship, including the Second Republic and the Civil War. The author contextualizes how Catalan cinematography, subordinate to the Spanish industry, was barely able to reflect the country's culture and identity, except for a few rare exceptions among the first sound films. This work is complemented by the volume El cinema a Catalunya després del franquisme (1975-2003), by the same author, thus forming a complete corpus of Catalan sound film production.
Main themes
- Complete catalog of Catalan sound feature films (1930-1975).
- Detailed technical and artistic data sheets for each film.
- Historical context: Republic, Civil War, and the Franco regime.
- Relationship between Catalan cinematography and the political dependence on the Spanish State.
- Evolution of sound cinema in Catalonia during four key decades.
Who is it recommended for?
This dictionary is aimed at film historians, researchers, audiovisual communication students, and cinephiles interested in Catalan film production. It is also of great value to industry professionals looking for a rigorous reference source on a complex and poorly documented historical period of cinema in Catalonia.
What this book provides
- An exhaustive and systematized registry of 883 feature films, facilitating consultation and study.
- Historical and political contextualization that allows for an understanding of the limitations and particularities of Catalan cinema.
- An indispensable complement to the volume on post-1975 Catalan cinema, offering a complete view of the country's sound cinematography.
- Critical commentary that provides analytical value beyond mere cataloging.
Technical sheet
- Author: Àngel Comas
- Publisher: Eumo Editorial SAU
- Language: Catalan
- Topic: Films, Cinema
- Collection: Tinter
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: March 2005
- Number of pages: 304
- Weight: 752 g
Editorial review
This work is presented as a rigorous and necessary reference tool for those who study the history of Catalan cinema. Its chronological and contextualized approach allows for an understanding of film production during a period of strong political constraints. The combination of technical data with critical commentary and its connection to the supplementary volume makes it a solid reference for researchers and film enthusiasts.