Alternative Empires: European Modernist Cinemas and Cultures of Imperialism

A study of representations of the non-Western world in European modernist cinema. In offering perspectives on the history of Soviet montage cinema and on the British documentary movement, it connects with the growing body of work analyzing manifestations of orientalism, Eurocentrism and colonial discourse in the cinema. The book integrates theoretical discussion and textual analysis with primary source historical research, particularly into film reception. The case studies question received understandings of European film history, and offer insights into canonical films already familiar to many readers.