Traditions in World Cinema General Editors: Linda Badley and R. Barton Palmer Founding Editor: Steven Jay Schneider This series introduces diverse and fascinating movements in world cinema. Each volume concentrates on a set of films from a different national, regional or, in some cases, cross-cultural cinema which constitute a particular tradition. Czech and Slovak Cinema: Theme and Tradition Peter Hames This is the first study in English to link Czech and Slovak films of the pre- and post-war periods with developments in contemporary cinema. It examines the political and cultural factors - rule by the Habsburg Empire, independence in 1918, Nazi occupation and Soviet domination, and the eighteen years since the 'Velvet Revolution' - that have shaped typical themes and approaches to film making. The main focus is on the different movements and genres that have extended across all historical periods, including comedy, realism, and lyricism. There is a special chapter on holocaust films as well as extended chapters on the historical and political film. The strong tradition in animated film is reconsidered, alongside the continuing impact of the avant-garde and Surrealism. The book examines the work of a wide range of directors, including: the comedies of Martin Fri? in the 1930s and 1940s, the Czech 'New Wave' directors of the 1960s such as Milos Forman, V?ra Chytilová, and Ji?í Menzel, the animated film from Ji?í Trnka and Karel Zeman to Jan Svankmajer, and award-winning contemporary film makers such as Jan Sv?rák and Petr Zelenka. Peter Hames is Honorary Research Associate in Film and Media Studies at Staffordshire University. His books include The Czechoslovak New Wave (second edition, 2005) and, as editor, The Cinema of Central Europe (2004), The Cinema of Jan Svankmajer: Dark Alchemy (second edition, 2008), and Cinemas in Transition (with Catherine Portuges, forthcoming).

Peter Hames is Honorary Research Associate in Film and Media Studies at Staffordshire University. His books include The Czechoslovak New Wave (second edition, 2005) and, as editor, The Cinema of Central Europe (2004), The Cinema of Jan Svankmajer: Dark Alchemy (second edition, 2008), and Cinemas in Transition (with Catherine Portuges, forthcoming). He has contributed to a wide range of publications, including Sight and Sound, Index on Censorship, Canadian Slavonic Papers, and KinoKultura.