Ana M. López: Essays

Ana M. López is one of the foremost film and media scholars in the world. Her work has addressed Latin American filmmaking in every historical period, across countries and genres--from early cinema to the present; from Brazil, Cuba, and Mexico to diasporic and Latinx cinemas in the United States; from documentary to melodrama to politically militant film. López’s groundbreaking essays have transformed Latin American film studies, opening up new approaches, theoretical frameworks, and lines of investigation while also extending beyond cinema to analyze its connections with television, radio, and broader cultural phenomena. Bringing together twenty-five essays from throughout her career, including three that have been translated into English for this volume, Ana M. López is divided into three sections: the transnational turn in Latin American film studies; analysis of genre and modes; and debates surrounding race, ethnicity, and gender. Expertly curated and edited by Laura Podalsky and Dolores Tierney, the volume includes introductory material throughout to map and situate López’s key interventions and to aid students and scholars less familiar with her work.

Ana López is Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, and Director of the Cuban and Caribbean Studies Institute at Tulane University. Laura Podalsky is Professor and Chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at The Ohio State University. Dolores Tierney is Professor and Head of Film Studies in the School of Media, Arts and Humanities at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom.